Damascus: US-backed fighters in Syria's east on Saturday declared their final victory over Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), ending a four-year battle against the group that once held territory spanning a third of Syria and Iraq.
"Syrian Democratic Forces declare total elimination of so-called caliphate and 100 per cent territorial defeat of ISIS. On this unique day, we commemorate thousands of martyrs whose efforts made the victory possible. #SDFDefeatedISIS," SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali tweeted.
The US Defense Department said on Friday that ISIL no longer held any territory in Syria, according to a White House spokeswoman.The SDF has been battling for weeks to defeat ISIL in Baghouz in southeastern Syria at the Iraqi border.
