Islamic State (IS) appears to be losing the ability to strike effectively in areas that were once part of the terror group’s self-declared caliphate, Voice of America (VOA) reported.US defence and military officials say they are seeing a “dramatic decrease” in IS activity and effectiveness across Iraq and Syria, with a noticeable decline in attacks during the just completed Muslim holy month of Ramazan. “All aspects of ISIS that we are tracking continue to decline or degrade,” the commander of the US-led anti-IS mission, Major General Matthew McFarlane, told reporters Monday. This past Ramazan, normally a time when IS ramps up its attacks and activities, was “one of the most peaceful in years,” he added.
According to the US-led coalition, IS carried out 19 attacks in Iraq during Ramazan, an 80 per cent decrease compared to last year and an 87 per cent decline compared to 2020, VOA reported. IS also managed 19 Ramadan attacks in Syria, a 37 per cent drop from last year and a 70 per cent decrease compared to 2020.
Most of the attacks, MacFarlane said, have been relatively small, opportunistic engagements.”ISIS has failed to organize or coordinate anything more than that, over the past year,” he said.Intelligence from the United States and from several United Nations member states also seems to suggest the terror group is struggling, VOA reported.