US: 10,000 Daesh fighters killed since start of coalition assault

More than 10,000 Daesh fighters have been killed since coalition forces started their campaign against the militant group in Iraq and Syria nine months ago, according to the US deputy secretary of state, Antony Blinken.

Speaking after leaders from more than 20 countries meeting in Paris for discussions on how to combat Daesh, he said there had been a great deal of progress but the Daesh militants remained resilient and capable of taking the initiative.

“We have seen a lot of losses within Daesh since the start of this campaign, more than 10,000,” Blinken told France Inter radio on Wednesday.

“It will end up having an impact.”

“At the start of this campaign (we) said it would take time,” Blinken said. “We have conceived a three-year plan and we’re nine months into it.”