Decrease in IS attacks in Iraq, Syria: coalition

BAGHDAD: The international coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria said on Monday there has been a “reduction in attacks” by jihadists in both countries this year.

The IS extremists in 2014 launched their self-proclaimed “caliphate” across swathes of both countries in a campaign marked by its brutality including mass killings, torture, rape and slavery. US-backed counter-offensives ended their territorial hold in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but IS cells continue to target security forces and civilians in both countries.