US: More gains in Daesh fight in Iraq than Syria

WASHINGTON

There has been greater gains in fighting Daesh in Iraq than in Syria, the White House said Friday.   

"I think we would acknowledge that the progress that we've made in Syria is not as significant as the progress that's been made in Iraq," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

Although there have been setbacks in Syria, he highlighted positives in the battle there such as the shutdown of the supply route between Tell Abyad and Daesh's self-declared capital in Raqqa.

Important steps were made in the last 12 months to degrade and destroy the militant group with more than 5,000 airstrikes that resulted in heavy losses for Daesh, he said. 

Asked if Daesh was now essentially as strong as it was a year ago, despite coalition efforts, Earnest said the group was no longer able to "freely operate in 25 percent of the populated areas that they previously controlled".

He said important gains were made in Iraq in the year-long fight against the militants, citing the retaking of the Sinjar mountains in northwestern Iraq, where religious minorities were trapped and threatened with death.  

The pressure coalition forces have placed on Daesh has resulted in the militants’ facing continued challenges, including their attempts at recruiting fighters and, he said the U.S would like to see additional progress in countering the "radicalization strategy" of Daesh.