Jarabulus ‘important milestone' in Daesh fight: US

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – Turkey’s military incursion into Syria marked an “important milestone” in the fight against Daesh, the Pentagon said Thursday.

“It was a bad day for ISIL yesterday in Jarabulus. It was another bad day for them today,” spokesman Peter Cook told reporters as Turkey continued to support Syrian opposition forces in the border town.

“Combined with the success of the Syrian Democratic Forces in freeing Manbij from ISIL, this is another important milestone in the military campaign,” Cook said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, another name for Daesh.

The U.S. continued to support the effort Thursday, carrying out one airstrike against a Daesh target near the border town, according to Cook.

The fall of Manbij and Jarabulus has closed a vital route for Daesh’s foreign fighters, Cook said.

“ISIL’s ability to move those foreign fighters and potential external operatives back and forth across the border has put the people of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and beyond at risk,” he said.

“The Manbij to Jarabulus route is no longer available to ISIL forces,” he added.

Cook acknowledged that some of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have crossed to the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, but said other “elements” are still in the city “to conduct the difficult, dangerous task of removing IEDs from the city.”

The U.S.-backed SDF has liberated approximately 28,000 square kilometers (10,800 square miles) in Syria from Daesh, according to Cook.