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Coalition efforts continue to reduce ISIL’s freedom of movement

  • Published
  • By Marine Maj. Andrew M. Aranda
  • U.S. Central Command
TAMPA, Fla. --  Coalition-enabled anti-ISIL ground operations have continued to reduce ISIL’s freedom of movement in several key areas of Iraq and Syria.

“Increased pressure from simultaneous Coalition operations, from the New Syrian Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria, to the Peshmerga forces in Northern Iraq, to the Iraqi Security Forces in Central Iraq, are having a cumulative effect - which is the operational weakening of ISIL in those areas,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Patrick Ryder, U.S. Central Command spokesman.“We will continue to support these operations.”

In three key areas, ISIL’s freedom of movement between Ar Raqqah in Syria and Mosul in Iraq, has been restricted or denied due to Coalition-enabled ground operations by anti-ISIL indigenous forces.

During the last several weeks, the liberation of Sinjar by Kurdish Peshmerga forces has cut the main route in Iraq between Mosul and Raqqah on the Iraqi side of the corridor.Additionally, the advances of Syrian Democratic Forces have further restricted the Syrian side of the corridor by putting pressure on key routes east of Ar Raqqah and south of Hasakah.Finally, Iraqi-led advances in two other areas: the Anbar corridor and the Bayji-Baghdad corridor, has limited ISIL’s ability to conduct operations in central Iraq.

“The results of these operations have prevented the terrorist group from expanding its territory for several weeks,” said Ryder.“ISIL is losing significant freedom of movement, which is restricting their resupply capacity and their ability to move fighters around the battlefield.”

The effect on ISIL has been cumulative.

“These developments add to previous gains made by indigenous ground forces and the Coalition,” Ryder said.The Coalition remains focused on degrading ISIL’s critical capabilities, disrupting their ability to regenerate, and isolating key ISIL geographic and functional nodes so they can no longer sustain themselves or function as a cohesive organization.”