AS IT IS 2016-04-08 Islamic State Suffers More Setbacks in Syria

AS IT IS 2016-04-08 Islamic State Suffers More Setbacks in Syria

Islamic State (IS) militants¹ have been defeated in northern Syria by rebel fighters and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, according to sources close to the fighting.

Military airplanes bombed IS targets to help ground forces in Syria defeat IS fighters. The United States led air support in the area near Aleppo.

Reports say Russian warplanes killed 40 IS militants in eastern Syria.

Forces loyal to Assad and supported by Russia recently took back the town of Palmyra from militants in late March. Palmyra and neighboring Tadmur are important because they are along IS supply lines that go from Iraq’s Anbar province to Homs province in Syria.

IS has not had a successful ground offensive in Syria since May 2015, when it captured Palmyra.

Recently, troops fighting against Assad stopped a jihadist attack in the Aleppo countryside in Syria. IS also has lost ground near the Syrian-Turkish border.

A rebel spokesman said “more than 15 militants were killed” in those clashes.

IS fighters withdrew from eastern areas in Homs province, according to the Syrian Observatory² for Human Rights. 

IS forces still hold the city of Raqqa in Syria. But lawlessness – including executions and robberies – may show that IS is losing control, says an anti-IS network group. Activists³ say IS members are forcing local children into joining the group.

IS militants executed eight young men west of Raqqa, according to VOA News and local ARA News. Reports also say former IS members are trying to flee. Others have been accused of stealing or corruption⁴.

Words in This Story

according - prep. as stated by

source - n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed

jihadist – n. related to those fighting a religious war to defend or spread their beliefs

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。