Brett McGurk, US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, stated that the fight against the remaining ISIS militants will continue over the first quarter of 2018, reported TASS news agency of Russia.

In a US State Department letter to the 74 D-ISIS coalition partners, McGurk stressed that the fight against the ISIS militants in Syria is still in progress.

“We anticipate these operations will continue over the first quarter of 2018,” he added. “The focus will then shift to stabilization, and the United States is prepared to remain in Syria until we are certain that ISIS is defeated, stabilization efforts can be sustained, and there is meaningful progress in the Geneva-based political process pursuant to UNSCR 2254, ultimately leading to constitutional reform and UN-supervised elections.”

According to the Pentagon, about 1,000 ISIS militants are still in Syria and Iraq.