Flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria reduced by over 70% says US- led coalition

The US- led coalition against the Islamic State has reduced the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria to join the extremist group by 75 per cent while it reduced the group’s financial resources by 50 per cent, a coalition spokesman said.

Colonel Steve Warren told reporters in Baghdad that the reduction came as a result of securing the borders, counter-recruitment and killing a large number of the group’s elements in Iraq and Syria.

According to the spokesman, Daesh was able to fund itself by stealing Iraqi banks in the provinces it had dominated, and through extortion, kidnapping, and smuggling oil and artefacts.

Warren also said that the group has earned $1 billion from local banks while it used to $500 million annually.

He pointed out that the group used to earn $100- 200 million from smuggling artefacts that were reduced to the half by international police.”

According to him, there are some 6,000 international advisers working for the coalition in Iraq including 4,000 Americans.