IS still has 'thousands' of fighters, seeking comeback: US intel chief

The Islamic State group maintains a force of thousands of fighters who pose a potent threat in the Middle East as its leaders continue to encourage attacks on the West, a top US intelligence official warned Tuesday.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats added that the jihadists, who once held vast swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq but are now reduced to a shrinking enclave, would exploit any reduction in counter-terror pressure to stage a comeback.

President Donald Trump last month announced he was ordering a full withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops from Syria. Senior US officials have since given contradictory statements about US intentions, but the Pentagon said it had begun the withdrawal, although how long it would take remained uncertain.

"ISIS still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria, and it maintains eight branches, more than a dozen networks, and thousands of dispersed supporters around the world, despite significant leadership and territorial losses," ...