Last week, American and Iraqi forces killed at least 15 ISIS fighters in one of
the largest missions in the region in recent years, raiding Islamic State
hideouts in Western Iraq with a view towards targeting a senior ISIS commander
who oversees operations in both the Middle East and Europe. U.S. forces have so
far declined to identify any of the ISIS commanders killed until confirmed by
DNA evidence. The United States, with the help of the Syrian Democratic Forces,
also captured an ISIS leader in Syria on Sunday. Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal had
helped ISIS fighters who had escaped from Syrian detention facilities,
including recently escaped detainees.





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Counterpoint Brief: U.S. and Iraqi Forces Target ISIS Leadership in Iraq and
Syria


(New York, N.Y.) – Last week, American and Iraqi forces killed at least 15
ISIS fighters in one of the largest missions in the region in recent years,
raiding Islamic State hideouts in Western Iraq with a view towards targeting a
senior ISIS commander who oversees operations in both the Middle East and
Europe. U.S. forces have so far declined to identify any of the ISIS commanders
killed until confirmed by DNA evidence. The United States, with the help of the
Syrian Democratic Forces, also captured an ISIS leader in Syria on Sunday.
Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal had helped ISIS fighters who had escaped from Syrian
detention facilities, including recently escaped detainees.



The two separate operations in Iraq and Syria came even as the United States
is negotiating an agreement that would wind down the itsmilitary presence in
Iraq, where it currently maintains 2,500 troops.



Expert Analysis



CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler:



“Putting military pressure on ISIS in its operational areas remains a key
aspect of global counter terrorism efforts. ISIS attacks have been on therise
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in Iraq and Syria in the last few months, and operations like this are
necessary in order to disrupt this reemergence of ISIS as a significant Terror
factor in its core region.



However, it should not be forgotten that ISIS is also growing in other areas,
particularlyWest Africa
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Afghanistan
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. The result of this growth in several vulnerable regions has been an increased
rate of terrorist plots abroad—both those that are fortunately foiled as in
Vienna recently, as well as successful ones such as inMoscow
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most recently inGermany
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.



The international community must come together and recognize that ISIS is a
growing threat, and that international terror attacks will continue to increase
if the group is left “alone” in any of its growth areas. In particular, it is
essential to focus on ISIS’ growth in both Afghanistan and West Africa in order
to regain the ability to put targeted military pressure on its terror
structures in these regions.”



CEP Resources:



To read CEP’s research on ISIS, please click here
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