The revelation comes just three weeks after the coalition claimed there were roughly 3,000 ISIS fighters still in the field, down from an estimated 34,000 at the height of the terror group’s power.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-dominated coalition which has led the coalition’s fight on the ground, said today that it had captured “several” French jihadists on the border with Iraq.
However, Major-General Felix Gedney, a British officer serving with the coalition, has suggested that ISIS’ reduced popularity does not mean that ISIS has been completely defeated.
He has claimed that ISIS fighters are still “moving with impunity” in territory west of the Euphrates River that is controlled by the Assad regime.
Major-General Gedney said: “The regime is either unwilling or unable to defeat ISIS within their borders.
“We’ve got no intention to operate in areas that are currently held by the regime. We can only defeat ISIS in areas our partners control.”
His words have come after ISIS yesterday claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on an Afghan news agency that killed at least 40 people and left dozens more wounded.
The blast at the Kabul office of Afghan Voice occurred during a morning panel discussion at the centre, with many students attending.
Sayed Abbas Hussaini, a journalist at the agency, said there appeared to have been more than one explosion during the attack, following an initial blast at the entrance to the compound.
The suicide attack was carried out by one bomber wearing a vest and followed three other bomb blasts in the same area, according to the group’s Amaq news agency.
Photographs showed what appeared to be serious damage at the site, in a heavily Shi’ite Muslim area in the west of the capital, and a number of dead and wounded on the ground.
Boris Johnson yesterday afternoon said: “I am appalled by this despicable attack on a cultural centre in Kabul which has claimed so many innocent lives and my heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families.
“We remain determined in our resolve to help the Afghan people overcome terror and we are committed to supporting the Afghan Government in seeking a brighter future for its people.
“Initial reports suggest that Daesh in Afghanistan have claimed responsibility. The disregard for humanity shown today bears all the hallmarks of their hateful ideology which must be countered wherever it is found.
“This is what the brave men and women of Afghanistan are committed to doing, with the help and support of their regional and international partners, the UK included.”