Statement From the Acting Secretary Shanahan ‘Inspired by battlefield success’ in Syria

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said Saturday that the Pentagon is inspired by the coalition’s ability to eliminate the ISIS Caliphate.

“We are inspired by the battlefield success of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),” Shanahan said in a statement. “Today’s SDF announcement that the liberation of the territory once held by ISIS in Iraq and Syria is 100 percent complete confirms that more than 20,000 square miles in Iraq and Syria have been cleared of ISIS since January 2017 and the terror group no longer controls populated areas.”

Shanahan recognized the SDF who led the fight against ISIS in Syria, the Iraqi Security Forces who led the fight in Iraq, and the Coalition and U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines for their bravery and strength in support of coalition partners.

“While this is a critical milestone in the fight against ISIS, we understand our work is far from complete,” he said. “As the D-ISIS campaign in northeast Syria transitions from liberating territory to enabling local security and preventing resurgent ISIS networks, we will continue to work by, with, and through our partners and allies to enable stabilization efforts.”

Shanahan said that the Department of Defense is committed to denying ISIS “safe haven anywhere in the world” and the defeat of ISIS>

“We remain committed to ISIS’s enduring defeat and we are confident that we will prevail,” he added.