Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the Committee’s Ranking Member, issued the following statement on ISIS’s advances in Syria:

“ISIS’s aggressive push north of Aleppo is an alarming new development. ISIS is now within striking distance of the vulnerable border crossing of Azaz, a vital pathway for humanitarian support.  ISIS control of this crossing would threaten catastrophe for millions of Syrians and would destroy critical gains that the moderate opposition has made in recent months.

“We have heard the desperate pleas for air support, and we call on the Administration to immediately target ISIS positions in and around Azaz and Aleppo to prevent ISIS from achieving further strategic gains.

“And, as the humanitarian crisis becomes more acute, we also support the release of additional funding to meet the emergency needs of the civilians caught in the middle of this horrific violence.”

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