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.
It was all that remained of the territory the armed group ruled.(UNI)