(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, June 15 (KUNA) -- In the fight to reclaim land from the So-called Islamic State (IS), military forces have made "slow but steady progress" in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, and continued to advance into Manbij, Syria, the US military said Wednesday.
In Fallujah, the fighting "remains slow and careful because of the civilian situation inside the city" where approximately 40,000 civilians have been evacuated from the area, Public Affairs Officer of the Combined Joint Task Force Chris Garver told reporters.
"The fighting remains intense inside the city, especially on the southern side, where over the past week the coalition has conducted 19 strikes on Fallujah," said Garver.
Earlier this week AH-64 Apache helicopters targeted IS in Iraq for the first time since October 2014 and destroyed a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
Meanwhile in Mabij, the International coalition forces "continue to advance on the city" and have encircled the land to conduct the "isolation phase, cutting of lines of communications into and out of the city," said Garver.
"Manbij has improved roads running through the city north-south and east-west. Literally, it is a crossroads for (IS) lines of communication," Garver added.
The US believes IS may be holding groups of civilians as hostages and "forcefully compelling citizens into fighting for them," Garver said.
The Syrian coalition "is exercising great care in its application of firepower against IS in the city to avoid collateral damage and especially civilian casualties," Garver added.
The fighting in the city has been "significant and at times heavy" where 73 airstrikes have been conducted over the past week, the spokesperson added. (end) ak.mb