Numerous senior leaders of the Islamic State (IS) have been destroyed during the US-led coalition airstrikes, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby stated.
"I can confirm that since mid-November, targeted coalition airstrikes successfully killed multiple senior and mid-level leaders within the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," Kirby said in a statement published Thursday.
Kirby underscored that the loss of "key leaders" diminishes IS ability to command and supervise current operations against Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).
"The success of these airstrikes demonstrates the coalition's resolve in enabling the ISF to disrupt and degrade ISIL as they continue to regain control of their territory," Kirby concluded.
The US-led international coalition, formed in September, has been performing airstrikes in Syria and Iraq in an effort to eliminate IS extremists.