By Al-Fassel | 2024-07-19

The international coalition against the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) has provided military, economic and humanitarian support to prevent the reemergence of the extremist group for close to a decade.

Formed in September 2014, after ISIS seized control of swathes of Iraq and Syria, the coalition has continued its work after the group's military defeat.

With its partners, it remains dedicated "to reconstruction efforts, humanitarian projects, tackling ISIS propaganda and removing the last ISIS remnants from their final hideouts," it said in a July 5 video.

Members of the US-led coalition have contributed more than $20 billion to stabilization assistance, de-mining capabilities, economic support and humanitarian aid in Iraq and Syria since 2014.

They have helped to revive the agricultural sector, which ISIS deliberately targeted, with the Al-Sakran irrigation project in Iraq's Anbar province -- which assisted 5,000 Iraqi farmers through modern irrigation -- as just one example.

Ongoing mission

In partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces and Iraqi forces, the international coalition continues to carry out its mission to defeat ISIS as it adapts its strategies to reflect current threats.

This includes efforts to target the group's destructive ideology in the online arena and uproot it from places like al-Hol camp in Syria, where the relatives of ISIS elements are interned.

In the first half of 2024, the coalition and its partners conducted 196 operations, resulting in 44 ISIS elements killed and 166 detained, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said July 16.

Eight senior ISIS leaders were killed and 32 others were arrested, it said, including individuals responsible for planning attacks outside Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training and weapons smuggling.

"The removal of these individuals ... further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations," the statement said.

ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria in the past six months.

"The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield, and the repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration of families from al-Hol and al-Roj," said CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla.