AS IT IS 2016-03-20 Islamic State Terrorists Lose Large Areas of Syria, Iraq

AS IT IS 2016-03-20 Islamic State Terrorists Lose Large Areas of Syria, Iraq

Military pressure against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq has cost the terrorist group 22 percent of its territory in the past 15 months.

About half of the loss has happened since the beginning of this year.

The monitoring group IHS said the militants¹ are, in its words, “increasingly isolated² and being perceived as in decline.”

IHS said the terrorists have been pushed back in northern Syria between Raqqa -- claimed by the Islamic State -- and the Turkish border. Airstrikes by Russia and a coalition³ led by the United States have freed important border crossings. Kurdish and Sunni fighters have supported that coalition.

The Islamic State terrorist group controls only a small area of Syria, where it smuggles⁵ supplies and fighters from Turkey.

At the same time, pro-government forces in Iraq also regained⁶ territory. The army -- and Sunni and Shi’ite militias⁸ -- took back control of Ramadi.

Iraq also plans to try to retake Mosul in the north. The militants have held the city for more than a year and a half.

The international community has noted⁹ the need for a unified¹⁰ fight against the Islamic State militants. It says if the Syrian government and rebels sign a peace agreement, their armies and weapons can be used in the fight against the IS militants.

Between 250,000 and 470,000 people have died in Syria -- and millions have fled the country -- in the past five years. There has been little progress to end the country’s civil war.

UN-led peace talks were held in Geneva, Switzerland this week.

Words in This Story

isolated – adj. separate from others

perceive – v. to notice or become aware of (something)

smuggle⁴ – v. to move (someone or something) from one country into another illegally and secretly

militia⁷ – n. a group of people who are not part of the armed forces of a country but are trained like soldiers

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

5 smuggles   

v.偷运( smuggle的第三人称单数 )；私运；走私；不按规章地偷带（人或物）

参考例句：

6 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

7 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

8 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。