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Fight against IS not over yet: Australia

Islamic State has lost control of its last territory in Syria but the Australian government says the group will continue to pose a threat.

Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi
US-backed forces have captured Islamic State's last territory in Syria. (AAP)

The Australian government says the global fight against Islamic State is not over, after US-backed forces captured the group's last territory in Syria.

The Syrian Democratic Forces announced on Saturday they had liberated the country's Middle Euphrates River Valley, the last spot in either Syria or Iraq under under IS control.

Australians have contributed to the effort to combat the group, as part of a 79-member global coalition, with an average 600 Australian Defence Force personnel in the Middle East at any time since 2014.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Christopher Pyne have welcomed the latest milestone.

But the leader have also stressed there is still a long way to go in pushing back against IS, also known as Da'esh.

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"Despite the significance of the milestone represented by this territorial defeat, it does not represent the end of the fight against Da'esh nor the extremism it embodies," the statement reads.

"Da'esh continues to pose a security threat in the Middle East region and beyond, including through the propagation of its extreme ideology."

Australia will continue to help the Iraqi Security Forces, at the request of the Iraqi government, including offering military training at the Taji military complex northwest of Baghdad.

A ninth rotation of military trainers is set to go to Iraq in June, with the combined Australian-New Zealand task group consisting of around 300 ADF and 110 NZ Defence Force personnel.

Islamic State originated as an al-Qaeda faction in Iraq but took advantage of Syria's civil war to seize land there and split from the global jihadist organisation.

In 2014, it grabbed Iraq's Mosul, erased the border with Syria and called on supporters worldwide to join a jihadist utopia, complete with currency, flag and passports.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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