The fighting in Iraq and Syria reaffirms the value of air power. A new coalition intervened in Iraq and Syria after the Islamic State militant group overran large areas of both countries. ISIS, which had become the most powerful militant group in Syria, began an offensive inside Iraq in late 2013. The group made some gains, but Iraqi security forces contained their advance until June 2014. That month, disaffected Sunni tribes switched sides and joined ISIS. The mishandling of the Iraqi security forces caused a collapse in morale and the loss of large areas of western and northern Iraq.
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