US Defense Secretary: 'Fight ISIS in Syria as long as they want'

US Defense Secretary James Mattis affirmed that the US military will fight against IS in Syria "for as long as they want".

According toReutersThis shows that the US wants its soldiers to play a longer-term role in Syria even though IS militants have lost almost all the territory they controlled.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Photo: Reuters

Mr. Mattis' statement came in the context of Russian and US-backed forces fighting fiercely with IS to regain "the last inch of land" in their hands.

The US Defense Secretary declared that the long-term goal of the US military is to prevent the return of a so-called “ISIS 2.0”: “The enemy has not declared complete surrender, so we will continue to fight them as long as they want.”

Mr. Mattis also emphasized the importance of peacekeeping efforts and said that the goal of US military forces is to create conditions to establish a peaceful solution for Syria.

Previously, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the two sides will work together to stabilize the situation in Syria by establishing ceasefire zones there.

Secretary James Mattis expressed confidence that the first ceasefire zone established in southwest Syria has proven effective. He also hoped that other ceasefire zones will be established soon so that Syrian refugees can return home soon.

“We will continue to expand ceasefire zones and work to demilitarize more areas to create conditions for people to return home,” Mr. Mattis affirmed./.

According to VOV