Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely told Newsmax TV on Friday that the capture of five of the Islamic States "most wanted" leaders by Iraq pointed to the "continued degradation and neutralization of ISIS forces" in the region.
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"They're all but defeated in the northern part of what we call the Levant, but they’ve certainly expanded into Afghanistan and Northern Africa," Vallely told "Newsmax Now" host John Bachman.
President Donald Trump lauded the capture Thursday on Twitter:
Iraq said it had captured "some of the most wanted" leaders of the terrorist group.
The list, however, did not include Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
As such, Vallely told Bachman: "They're still alive, but they've been neutralized to some degree."
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