US says Islamic State foreign fighter ranks drop to 25,000

Special envoy for global coalition to counter extremist group adds that salaries for some of its members cut by about half

By AP 23 February 2016, 11:03 pm

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Islamic State fighters pass by a convoy in the town of Tel Abyad in northeast Syria, May 4, 2015. (Jihadist website via AP)

A top Obama administration official said Tuesday that the Islamic State group’s ranks of foreign fighters have dropped to about 25,000 from a peak of 35,000.

Brett McGurk, the US special envoy for the global coalition to counter IS, said fighters from 120 countries have joined the group.

McGurk was touting progress in the US-led effort to defeat IS. He said the extremist group was under pressure and had cut fighters’ salaries by about half.

McGurk said President Barack Obama will get an update on diplomatic and political efforts Thursday at the State Department.

The meeting comes after the US and Russia announced a cease-fire agreement for Syria to take effect later this week. McGurk said the US was under no illusions about how difficult implementing the cease-fire will be.