The defeat of the Islamic State group in its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria, may be only the start of a wider struggle by the United States to contain any insurgency launched by the militants and to stabilize the region as Washington struggles to define a comprehensive strategy in Syria.
U.S.-backed militias declared victory over Islamic State in Raqqa on Tuesday, raising flags over the last jihadi footholds after a four-month battle.
The Sunni militant group overran Raqqa in January 2014, seizing control from rebels against the rule of President Bashar Assad.