美国领导的联军在叙利亚和伊拉克加紧打击伊斯兰国组织的残余势力，比3月份的空袭次数增加了两倍。
联军星期一宣布，5月份对伊斯兰国武装进行了225次空中打击，相当于3月份74次空袭的304%。
军方官员说，空中打击次数的增加反映了美国支持的叙利亚民主联军的重点转移，在中幼法拉底河谷对伊斯兰国武装发起反击。在美国呼吁叙利亚民主联军和土耳其这两个美国盟友停止互相攻击，把重点放在击败伊斯兰国组织一个月后，叙利亚民主联军发起了“清扫”行动。
今年3月，在叙利亚西北部阿夫林人口占多数的库尔德人基本都已撤走，因为那里面临土耳其军队以及土耳其支持的叙利亚反对派武装的进攻。一些在叙利亚民主联军里的库尔德人响应阿夫林居民保护家园的呼吁，成群结队地前往阿夫林。
美国官员一再表示，叙利亚西北地区的冲突干扰对伊斯兰国组织的打击行动，给这个恐怖组织在一些地区重新集结的机会。
联军估计，在伊拉克和叙利亚的伊斯兰国残余武装去年减少到3000人以下。但是联军发言人莱恩陆军上校对美国之音说，还有相当数量的伊斯兰国武装人员散布在中幼法拉底河谷。
The U.S.-led coalition in Syria and Iraq has ramped up its attack on the final remnants of Islamic State, increasing the number of strikes by more than 300 percent over the number of airstrikes in March.
The coalition Monday announced that it conducted 225 strikes again Islamic State (IS) forces in May, a 304 percent increase over the 74 strikes it carried out in March.
Military officials said the strike numbers reflect a refocus by U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the latest counter-IS assault in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. Dubbed Operation Roundup, the assault follows months of U.S. calls to its allies, the SDF and Turkey, to stop fighting each other in northern Syria and turn their efforts toward defeating IS.
In March, the majority of the predominantly Kurdish population of Afrin, in northwest Syria, evacuated under threat of attack from Turkish military forces and Turkish-backed opposition forces. Some Kurdish fighters in the SDF flocked to Afrin after a plea from locals to protect the city.
U.S. officials have repeatedly said the fighting in northwestern Syria “distracts” from the counter-IS campaign and provides an opportunity for the group to begin reconstituting in some areas.
Coalition estimates of remaining Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria dropped below 3,000 last year, but coalition spokesman Army Col. Sean Ryan told VOA there are still plenty of fighters spread across the Middle Euphrates River Valley.
