Col. Steve Warren told reporters that IS was "on the defensive," and had "not gained one inch in Iraq since May."

It had also been driven out of 20% of its territory in Syria, he added.

"Despite the losses, IS has continued to launch counter-offensives—including several near the western Iraqi city of Haditha in the past 48 hours," said the BBC.

Col. Warren said coalition air strikes had helped Iraqi government forces repel an assault on Monday by about 200 militants, and that more than 100 had been killed.

He did not give a figure for casualties on the government side, but a Sunni tribal commander told AFP news agency that they had lost more than 25 fighters.

The BBC went on to say that Haditha Mayor Mabrouk Hamid said the IS counter-offensive had involved more than 40 armored vehicles, some of them filled with explosives.

Col. Warren said IS had shifted its focus to Haditha, situated near a key dam in the north of Anbar province, after losing control of the provincial capital Ramadi the government last week.

The coalition spokesman also denied claims by IS that it had captured the towns of Barwana and Sakran, near Haditha. He insisted it had not gained any territory in Iraq since May, when Ramadi was overrun in an embarrassing defeat for the army.

"In June 2014, IS seized large parts of northern and western Iraq, and proclaimed the creation of a caliphate stretching across the border with Syria," said the BBC.

Iraqi government and Kurdish Peshmerga forces—supported by Iranian-backed Shia militiamen, Sunni tribesmen and coalition air strikes—have since regained more than 20,000 sq km (about 8.000 sq miles), according to the coalition.

IS militants have also been driven out of the city of Tikrit in the past year, but they continue to control Mosul, the largest city in the north.
"In Syria, the jihadists have been losing ground to President Bashar al-Assad's forces, rebel groups, and Kurdish militia fighters. But they have also been able to capture new territory of strategic value, including the ancient city of Palmyra," concluded the BBC story.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Pro-Life Advocates to Hold Prayer and Worship Service at the United States Supreme Court on the Eve of 'Idaho v. United States' Abortion Case

'Just a Disaster': Biden's Title IX Rule Empowers LGBTQ Movement, Erases Women and Justice

WATCH: Brave School Girl Reveals in Graphic Detail How TRANS Student Savagely Assaulted Her Friend While Blasting Woke School Officials for Letting it Happen

United For Israel March Happening on the Columbia University Campus, April 25th

As Anti-Israel Activists Vandalize Texas Congressman's Office, He 'Stands With Israel'

Did Letitia James Accidentally Reveal the Real Reason for Her Trump Witch Hunt?

Unredacted Motion Reveals Collaboration between Biden White House and NARA to Concoct Classified Docs Case against Trump

Report: the WHO Makes Major Changes to the Pandemic Treaty, and They're Good Ones; But Will It Last?

Israelis Remember Hostages, Fallen Soldiers, Terror Victims as Passover Begins

She Survived a Death Camp. Facing Biden DOJ Charges, She Is Prepared to Die in Prison

Planned Parenthood Committed 392,712 Abortions, Received $699.3 Million in Taxpayer Funding in 2023

Student Loan Forgiveness: Morally Reprehensible and Legally Invalid

Columbia Classes Go Virtual Before Passover Amid Protests

Hundreds Accept Jesus Christ in Poland at Franklin Graham Rally

Grammy-Winning Christian Artist Mandisa Has Died: Report

How You Can Send Letters of Encouragement to Jailed Pro-Life Heroes

'Americans Cannot Allow the Biden Administration to Sign Away Their Birthright': Congressmen Warn of WHO Pandemic Agreement

Illegal Immigrants Being Moved into Soldiers' Home Where Veterans Must Pay to Stay

House Democrats Vow to Codify 'Rights' to Trans Surgeries, Hormones, Puberty Blockers

18-Year-Old Female Trans Student Charged for Planning Two Maryland School Shootings, Manifesto Said She Wanted to Be 'Famous'