(New York Times) Rukmini Callimachi - At its height, Islamic State ruled over more than 60,000 square miles in Syria and Iraq. It is now squeezed into two villages occupying six square miles in northeastern Syria. "Yesterday, 60 fighters - among them 50 foreigners - surrendered to our forces, and the number was 30 fighters the day before," Shervan Derwish, spokesman for the military council in Manbij, said on Wednesday. It's not surprising that a majority of those who surrendered are foreign fighters. The foreigners often do not speak Arabic fluently, and their non-Arab features mean that they cannot blend in with the local population. "Now they [ISIS] will resume smaller attacks. Everyone needs to remain vigilant," said Col. Sean Ryan, spokesman for the American-backed coalition fighting the group.
2019-01-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive