After a coordinated operation, Iraqi soldiers and the U.S. air force destroyed ISIS positions near the American base in Al-Tanf, Syria early Saturday. The attack successfully dislodged a group of jihadist fighters that are threatening the ongoing training of Syrian fighters by the United States.
What is the status of the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq?
ISIS is slowly withering away in Syria as U.S. backed rebels are pushing jihadists out of the Raqqa area. Aside from this, Assad's forces have plowed through large swathes of ISIS territory in the Southern and Eastern Syrian desert ridding the area of retreating terrorists.
Iraqi forces at the other side of the border are pushing ISIS northward into the mountains as they rush up the Tigris and Euphrates river.
Earlier Saturday, the Iraqi Army have managed to flush out ISIS fighters that have dug in an area near the Al-Tanf base, where U.S. operatives are training Syrian rebel troops. The Iraqi army coordinated their attack with U.S. air strikes that destroyed ISIS defenses and forced them to retreat. This is a major development in the fight against ISIS, as Iraq and U.S. backed Syrian rebels are now working together to destroy Islamic state fighters.
First combat footage of #SAA operations against #ISIS at the edges of Al-Raqqa province.#الرقة pic.twitter.com/jAirPsGMn6
— Majd Fahd 🇸🇾 (@Syria_Protector) June 13, 2017
The assault on Raqqa is also going well, as Syrian Kurdish fighters have penetrated the initial defenses of the city and are now slowly mopping up the entire area of retreating ISIS insurgents.
The aim of the Raqqa assault is to drive the jihadists towards the plains and secure the road that leads to the city of Aleppo, the center of the Syrian rebels.
How will the U.S. confront Assad's success in fighting ISIS?
The United States had specifically stated that it's mission in Syria is not to topple Assad's government.
This is mainly because Russia openly supports the Syrian government and provided ample weapons to improve its military. Many analysts fear that after ISIS is pushed out of Syria, the U.S. Military will not help the Syrian rebels openly defeat Assad's regime but will leave them to fend for themselves. This is unless the Pentagon authorizes the army to help rebel forces topple the government, which will not go well with Russia.
At the moment, the United States is slowly gaining the support of major Middle Eastern countries, namely Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates, and Egypt to help fight ISIS and countries that are pro-Iran. It is just a matter of time when the Saudi government will have the strength to assume the role of the most powerful Muslim state in the Middle East and actively help the United States dominate the region.
