The Heat: Latest in the global fight against ISIL

The Heat

Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service patrol in Mosul’s Old City during the offensive to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. (AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE)

With the battle to retake Mosul from ISIL almost won in Iraq and the group severely limited in its Syrian stronghold Raqqa, the Middle East could soon be free of the militant group.

But ISIL may be looking for a new battleground. In Southeast Asia, there’s now evidence of what is, at the very least, ISIL influence. The most obvious is the ongoing conflict in Marawi City in the Southern Philippines.

CGTN’s Barnaby Lo reports.
Follow Barnaby Lo ‏on Twitter @barnabychuck

To discuss the threat of ISIL in the Philippines, Russia and beyond:

  • Richard Heydarian, a geopolitical analyst and professor at De La Salle University.
  • Dmitry Babich, a political analyst at Sputnik International.
  • Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm, Arabic Independent newspaper.
  • Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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