The Islamic State lost two key territorial battles Friday, ceding control of the cities of Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria and Qaim in western Iraq. The terrorist organization has now lost 96 percent of the territory controlled at the height of its self-proclaimed "Caliphate," The Associated Press reports.
After the fall of Raqqa, Syria, earlier this fall, Deir el-Zour had become "the headquarters of [ISIS] leadership, and in losing it, they lose their capacity to direct terrorist operations" in the area. Qaim was valuable to ISIS because it contains a crossing of the Euphrates River near the Syrian border, a crucial resource for transporting supplies and troops.
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