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Local troops fighting to stop ISIS

Posted at 6:10 PM, Sep 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-16 21:10:55-04

ISIS is behind fear and bloodshed around the world. We now know about 2,300 local marines and sailors are involved in the fight against the terror group.

Air Force Colonel John Dorrian, who is the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson, unleashed harsh words about them.

"What they will do is absolutely anything to impose their will," he said. "This is a ruthless and brutal enemy, absolutely brutal."

The savage enemy craves innocent blood. Precision air strikes are aimed at stopping them.

380 AEW Commander, Brig. Gen. Charles Corcoran, spoke about them.

"Each one of our strikes is a result of a very detailed, calculated process," Corcoran explained.

U.S. and coalition forces dig up intel, do surveillance and track people.

Then, they build a bomb, which is tailored to the target and unload blast after blast.

Top brass has insisted our infantry troops are not in hand-to-hand combat.

I asked him if we are getting closer to calling it combat.

"Our role here is to support the Iraqis, so we advise, assist, we train and equip and then we also conduct strikes. Some of those strikes are from the air, and then we have forces on the ground that do artillery strikes and rocket strikes.

"We do fire our artillery and our airmen are taking the fight to the enemy every day. If you'd like to call that combat; yes it is. Yes."

Whatever it is, it has been working. Coalition forces have beaten ISIL out of Jarabulus and Manbij in Syria, as well as Ramadi and Fallujah in Iraq.

Now, they are focused on trying to liberate Raqqa and Mosul. They are working on a plan to protect more than half a million people they expect to flee.

"This is a tremendous undertaking," Dorrian said.

Our troops are pushing forward with calculated carnage and trying to stop ISIS at its breeding sites.

"They inspire attacks all around the world," Dorrian said. "They really have to be stopped."