US-Backed Syrian Forces Declare Victory Over ISIS in Syria

Still image of ISIS flag

(Photo: AP)

Video Producer: Ujjwal Agarwal

US-backed forces declares military victory over the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria after liberating the last pocket of territory held by the militants in the country's east, marking the end of a brutal self-styled caliphate the group carved out in large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

After weeks of heavy fighting, the tent camp where the militants had made their final stand in the village of Baghouz was bombed to shreds.

Amid the empty fox holes and trenches stood a building with a huge yellow Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) flag on top.

The elimination of the last IS stronghold in Baghouz brings to a close a gruelling final battle that stretched across several weeks and saw thousands of people flee the territory and surrender in desperation, and hundreds killed.

It spells the end of the militants' proto-state, which at its height four years ago was the size of Britain and home to some 8 million people, but the extremist group still maintains a scattered presence and sleeper cells across Syria and Iraq.

“This victory was extremely expensive as more than 11 thousand martyrs of our forces, leaders and fighters as well as civilian victims who are the target of Islamic State terrorism and more than 25 thousand fighters with different injuries. On this occasion we cannot but to remember those heroes, pay tribute to the memory of the martyrs, and wish the urgent recovery for our wounded soldiers. Without their sacrifices we would not be granted this victory.”

Mazloum Abdi, SDF General Commander

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US still has "work to do to make sure that radical Islamic terrorism doesn't continue to grow", despite the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria.

“Our mission there hasn’t changed, we still have work to do to make sure that radical Islamic terrorism doesn’t continue to grow. Thank you all very much.”

Mike Pompeo, United States Secretary of State