President Obama promises to intensify the fight against IS

(Baonghean.vn)- On Monday, July 6, President Obama announced that the US-led international coalition against IS will be determined to step up the fight against the Islamic State organization IS in Syria and reiterated that the campaign against the jihadists will be a long-term fight.

US President Obama: The fight against IS will not end quickly but will be a long-term campaign, Photo Le Monde

In a statement issued at the Pentagon, Mr. Obama said that the United States is “increasing our efforts to counter IS bases in Syria.” The US President said that the anti-IS coalition’s airstrikes are continuing to target oil refineries – a major source of funding for terrorist activities – as well as the IS headquarters and infrastructure in Syria.

President Obama stressed that the fight against IS will not end quickly but will be a long-term campaign. In addition, Mr. Obama also said that the weakening of IS is completely real.

In recent days, the US-led international coalition against IS has continued to carry out airstrikes targeting infrastructure in Raqqa – an area considered to be the IS’s de facto base in Syria. According to a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), the recent airstrikes have killed at least 30 people.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the bombings were aimed at supporting Kurdish forces in their fight against IS. Meanwhile, President Obama assured that the coalition had eliminated “thousands of jihadists, including senior IS officials.” Since launching the fight against IS, the US-led international coalition has carried out more than 5,000 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.

Chu Thanh

(according to Le Monde)