IS Continues Attacks Despite 6,000 Airstrikes

IS Continues Attacks Despite 6,000 Airstrikes

WASHINGTON—

One year ago (on August 8, 2014), the United States started to bomb Islamic State targets in Iraq. Since then, the U.S.-led coalition¹ has hit the militant² group in Iraq and Syria with more than 6,000 air strikes.

Even though the group has lost some territory, it has shown tough resilience and continues to pose a threat to vulnerable communities in the region, most recently in Turkish areas close to the Syrian border.

The United States on Friday launched new airstrikes against Islamic State militants³ near Irbil in northern Iraq. 

U.S. defense⁴ officials say fighter jets dropped bombs on the militants close to a station that houses U.S. military trainers. Local Kurdish forces welcome any help they can get to hold off Islamic State advances, but they say they need arms.

"I would like to tell the whole world that we are not doing this battle only for Kurdistan. We are doing this battle for all the international community and the whole world," said General Mansour Barzani with Kurdish Special Forces.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday that Islamic State has lost about 30 percent of the territory it held a year ago in Iraq, and a significant portion of the area it controlled in Syria.

"Coalition forces have repeatedly struck ISIL leadership targets to an extent that ISIL leadership targets no longer have a safe haven⁵. And the United States and our coalition partners are taking steps to interrupt ISIL's finances and make it more difficult for the group to attract new foreign fighters," he said.

Turkey recently joined military action against Islamic State but Turkish anti-terror operations seem aimed more against the Kurdish PKK rebels. Some people in Turkish border villages are not reassured⁶.

"We fear that the government is giving up on its people here, that they leave the people on their own like in Syria," said Mehmet Kahraman, from Durakbasi village, which is near Syria.

Air strikes can help deter⁷ militant advances, but only temporarily, says a London-based defense analyst⁸.

"There's going to be, I suspect, crossed fingers, that the airstrikes - with some special forces on the ground - will put a break on the expansion of ISIS, and possibly even see them reduce their area as they suffer," said Francis Tusa, editor with Defence Analysis.

In the long run, though, he said local militias⁹ need significant military help on the ground to defeat Islamic State.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 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。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

6 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网