The Global Counter-Jihadist Coalition reported Monday a decline in Islamic State attacks in Iraq and neighboring Syria during the first months of 2023, as the jihadists continue to operate despite their defeat.

After its rise in 2014 in Iraq and neighboring Syria, the Islamic State was defeated after a series of military operations against it in the two countries, with the support of an international coalition led by Washington.

Iraq declared "victory" over the jihadists in 2017, while the Islamic State lost its last stronghold in 2019 in Syria, but its elements are still active in rural and remote areas and launch sporadic attacks.

"Since the beginning of the year in Iraq, until the first week of April, we recorded a 68% decrease in the number of attacks, compared to the same period in the previous year," said General Matthew MacFarlane, commander of the international coalition.

"In Syria...we recorded a decrease of 55% during the same period," he added during an online press conference, pointing out that these attacks were "relatively limited", launched by "one or a few individuals".

"The Islamic State organization has not succeeded in organizing or coordinating anything on a broader level this year," he said.

He stated that the month of Ramadan "was one of the quietest in years," pointing to an "80 percent" drop in attacks in Iraq compared to last year, and a "37 percent" drop in Syria.

He also pointed out that the Kurdish forces that run al-Hol camp in Syria, which houses about 50,000 people from jihadist families, have deported "more than 1,300 nationals of other countries" since the beginning of 2023.

In March, an Iraqi military official said that the Islamic State had between 400 and 500 fighters active in Iraq.

According to estimates published in a report to the UN Security Council in February, the organization has "between 5,000 and 7,000 members and supporters spread between Iraq" and Syria, "about half of them fighters."

In Iraq, "the organization is still active despite Iraqi counter-terrorism efforts that succeeded in killing approximately 150 ISIS members in 2022," according to the Security Council report.
The report added that the organization is active in Iraq in "rural mountainous areas," taking advantage of "the porous Iraqi-Syrian border."

Despite the decline in its financial reserves, which are currently estimated at between 25 and 50 million dollars, according to the Security Council report, the organization "began to launder money through investments in legitimate businesses such as hotels and real estate" in Syria and Iraq.

The organization also resorted to "stealing cattle to collect money."