U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria killed an estimated 145-150 Islamic State terrorists using precision strikes on Saturday.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Tuesday that precision strikes took out the ISIS fighters who were clustered closely together near Shafah, Syria.
Maj. Gen. James B. Jarrard, commanding general of Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, emphasized that the fight against ISIS still has more to accomplish. But he did say that the Syrian Democratic Forces, who carried out the strikes and are supported by the United States, are making progress on the battlefield.
"The strikes underscore our assertion that the fight to liberate Syria is far from over," Jarrard said.
"Our SDF partners are still making daily progress and sacrifices, and together we are still finding, targeting and killing ISIS terrorists’ intent on keeping their extremist hold on the region," Jarrard said. "We cannot take our focus off our mission, and we must not lose our momentum in taking these terrorists off the battlefield and preventing them from resurfacing somewhere else."
The ISIS headquarters and command-and-control center that the coalition targeted was situated in a part of the Middle Euphrates River valley that is exclusively occupied by ISIS. Officials say they had continuous eyes on the target and made sure no nonmilitary personnel was engaged accidentally.
The headquarters was full of combatants who were apparently organizing to move somewhere.
ISIS has lost 98 percent of the territory it once had in its so-called caliphate. President Donald Trump has placed a focus on defeating the terror organization, which rose to prominence in the region after former president Barack Obama called them "jayvee."