Battle won, war still on US declares victory against IS; to continue war against terrorism

The US has begun to withdraw all its 2,000 remaining troops in Syria after President Donald Trump declared victory over Daesh.

“We have defeated Daesh in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency,” he said. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the campaign against terrorism would move to a new phase.

“Five years ago, Daesh was a powerful and dangerous force in the Middle East, and now the US has defeated the territorial caliphate,” she said.

“These victories over Daesh in Syria do not signal the end of the global coalition. We have started returning US troops home as we transition to the next phase.”