Washington/Geneva, August 20 (WNM) - Pentagon spokesman Cmdr Sean Robertson told the World News Monitor that the US " continue to work by, with, and through our partners to ensure an enduring defeat of ISIS”. “While the physical caliphate has been defeated, we have been clear that there is work left to do”, Robertson said: ISIS has switched its resources to underground deployments in loose cells."

“ISIS has prepared its resources to operate underground in a disaggregated resurgent cell network. As the D-ISIS campaign in northeast Syria transitions from liberating territory to enabling local security and preventing resurgent ISIS networks, we continue to work with allies and partners to enable stabilization efforts," Robertson said. 

In Iraq, the Pentagon is following the same strategic approach: “In Iraq, the focus of CJTF-OIR remains on supporting the operations of the Iraqi Security Forces and building their capacity in order to achieve the enduring defeat of ISIS. We are in Iraq at the invitation of the government of Iraq, and we continue to support them at their request. ISIS is actively trying to stage a resurgence in mainly rural areas of Iraq, and CJTF-OIR provides support to their operations when requested,” Robertson said. 

China's envoy said on Tuesday that there was a danger of Islamic State forces reviving in Syria and called for progress in the political process between the Assad government and opposition. "There is now a danger of terrorist organisations like ISIS being revived, we see some signs ... The fight against terrorism needs to be finished," Chinese Special Envoy Xie Xiaoyan told reporters after talks with U.N. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen in Geneva.

In Syria the fighting for Idlib has intensified in recent days. The Syrian army and the Russians want to disarm the mercenaries who have accumulated there. Turkey has a territorial claim and speaks of a necessary "security zone". On Monday, a Turkish military convoy set off in the direction of Idlib. Mercenaries who were to be supported by Turkey came under fire from the Syrian army.