US top diplomat claims Daesh's 'caliphate' defeated

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed Tuesday Daesh's "caliphate" has been defeated, just one day after the terror group claimed its second attack on U.S. military personnel in as many weeks.

"It should not go unnoticed that we’ve also defeated the ISIS caliphate in Syria and Iraq, alongside more than six dozen nations in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS," Pompeo said in a video remarks to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He was using another name for Daesh.

Daesh last week claimed a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria that claimed the lives of four Americans, including two service members. And on Monday the group claimed a vehicle-borne bomb attack on a U.S. convoy.

The last attack did not result in any known American casualties.

Both follow President Donald Trump's surprise announcement in December that the U.S. would be withdrawing its forces from Syria where they have been working to defeat the terror group.

Pompeo did acknowledge there is "a lot more work to do," but told the forum "with your help, I know we’ll achieve it."

Vice President Mike Pence last week declared "ISIS has been defeated" just hours after the coalition confirmed American service members died in the Manbij attack.

He later issued a statement expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, but insisted Daesh's "caliphate" had been "devastated" by the U.S.-led campaign.