75 per cent of ISIS fighters killed in coalition air strikes, sending numbers falling from 60,000 to ‘between 12,000 and 15,000’
THREE quarters of Isis's fighters have been wiped out in bombings, with 50,000 killed in the past two years, US officials have revealed
AIRSTRIKES in Iraq and Syria have wiped out at least 75% of Isis fighters - with just a few thousand now remaining.
American officials said US-led airstrikes had cut Isis's number down from 60,000 to somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 "battle ready" fighters.
The figures mean the US and its coalition partners, including Britain, have taken out vastly more ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria in the past few years than the number still fighting.
Last week a US official said the coalition had killed 50,000 militants since 2014.
The news comes as Aleppo's mayor Brita Hagi Hasan urged EU countries to adopt a "courageous position" and send forces to the Syrian city, warning 50,000 civilians are facing massacre.
But there will still be a significant battle facing Donald Trump when he becomes commander in chief in January, taking over from President Obama, reports .
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, said the terror group was no longer able to replenish its ranks - predicting the number of fighters would continue to dwindle.
"The number of battle-ready fighters inside Iraq and Syria is now at its lowest point that it's ever been," Mr McGurk said.
He said the flow of foreign fighters to Isis had been stemmed by tighter surveillance and border controls.
President Barack Obama was updated on the Isis battle by Mr McGurk and other US officials in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday.
The US and local forces are currently waging a battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul, where additional gains against Isis are expected, though Mr McGurk did not provide a timeline.
The air campaign, led by the US and begun in 2014, has conducted 17,000 strikes against Isis targets, Mr McGurk said.
The vast majority were conduced by US planes, while 4,500 were carried out by other members of the coalition.
The most recent targets included three Isis leaders which the US says were responsible for planning attacks in Paris and Brussels last year.
They were taken out in Raqqa, Isis's self-described capital in Syria.
Attempts to take out Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi have failed so far however.
Mr McGurk insisted Baghdadi, who hasn't been seen publicly in several years but released an audio message last month, showed deep vulnerability.
"Issuing audiotapes deep in hiding is not really a sign of a confident leader, particularly in today's media age," Mr McGurk said.
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"So eventually, we will find and eliminate him as well, but the leadership ranks continue to diminish."
As President Obama prepares to hand the anti-Isis mission to his successor Donald Trump, Mr McGurk noted it's only the second wartime transition in 40 years.
"It's complex," he said. "The direction very clearly from President Obama is to make sure we're doing all we can to ensure it can be a seamless transition."
He indicated there were "constant transition meetings going on, particularly in the State Department" to discuss the Isis battle.
Tuesday's discussion also covered the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, where Syrian government forces are poised to retake the city after a brutal crackdown on rebels.
The fighting has prompted tens of thousands of civilian residents to flee.
President Obama "directed his team to take all steps, in concert with allies and partners, to deescalate the violence, push for humanitarian access, and for an opportunity for those trapped in the besieged city to be allowed a safe egress, if desired," according to the White House.
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