Recent reports have stated that the last stronghold of the extremist terror group Islamic State aka ISIS Extremist has been liberated. US-backed Syrian forces took control of Baghouz, a Syrian village this morning. The events herald the victory of the military over the self-declared caliphate.
ISIS Threat still remains at large!
But it is not the time to celebrate just yet. Dr. Karin von Hippel was the former chief of staff to the special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to counter Islamic State. She said the fall of the group is an ‘important milestone’.
‘It is the territorial defeat of Isis, but they still are an enormous threat,’ Dr von Hippel added.
The director of international security studies at RUSI is Raffaello Pantucci. He said that ‘biggest danger’ is stepping back, since this is just a territorial win for the military, not the end of ISIS.
Dr von Hippel further stated that the hardened fighters will be ‘going to different countries to prepare for different attacks’. She said that Libya and Sudan are easy targets. Mr Pantucci also expressed concerned over the fighters moving into the Philippines.
Dr von Hippel called the fight against a ‘generational challenge’ and that ‘we are not going to see the end of this. It is a movement, it is an ideology’.