美國對敘利亞的空襲猛增兩倍

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.美國領導的聯軍在敘利亞和伊拉克加緊打擊伊斯蘭國組織的殘餘勢力，比3月份的空襲次數增加了兩倍。

聯軍星期一宣佈，5月份對伊斯蘭國武裝進行了225次空中打擊，相當於3月份74次空襲的304%。

軍方官員說，空中打擊次數的增加反映了美國支持的敘利亞民主聯軍的重點轉移，在中幼法拉底河谷對伊斯蘭國武裝發起反擊。在美國呼籲敘利亞民主聯軍和土耳其這兩個美國盟友停止互相攻擊，把重點放在擊敗伊斯蘭國組織一個月後，敘利亞民主聯軍發起了“清掃”行動。

今年3月，在敘利亞西北部阿夫林人口占多數的庫爾德人基本都已撤走，因爲那裏面臨土耳其軍隊以及土耳其支持的敘利亞反對派武裝的進攻。一些在敘利亞民主聯軍裏的庫爾德人響應阿夫林居民保護家園的呼籲，成羣結隊地前往阿夫林。

美國官員一再表示，敘利亞西北地區的衝突干擾對伊斯蘭國組織的打擊行動，給這個恐怖組織在一些地區重新集結的機會。

聯軍估計，在伊拉克和敘利亞的伊斯蘭國殘餘武裝去年減少到3000人以下。但是聯軍發言人萊恩陸軍上校對美國之音說，還有相當數量的伊斯蘭國武裝人員散佈在中幼法拉底河谷。