The "Islamic State" (ISIS) terrorist group's ranks have been pared back by international and local military action in Iraq and Syria to their lowest level since Washington began monitoring the group, a senior official said Tuesday, according to AFP.
"Working by, with and through local partners, we have taken back 40 percent of the territory that Daesh controlled a year ago in Iraq and 10 percent in Syria," deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told US lawmakers in prepared testimony. "In fact, we assess Daesh's numbers are the lowest they've been since we began monitoring their manpower in 2014," he added, using one of three terms US officials use interchangeably to refer to ISIS.