What is the military term for driving militants out of a city, and declaring the city completely militant-free?
I got an advice to use the word "cleansed", but I am not really convinced it is the right word.
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1Neutralize is one word. Also, the area is cleared of hostiles.– vickyaceApr 7, 2017 at 16:28
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Pacification is "to rid an area of terrorists or other enemies by military force or psychological persuasion".– Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_Apr 7, 2017 at 16:37
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A less formal expression that is used is "taking out the trash".– fixer1234Apr 7, 2017 at 23:45
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Occupation works– Phil SweetApr 11, 2017 at 2:29
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Cleanse has negative connotations because of the euphemism ethnic cleansing, used to refer to forced migrations and genocide in post-Yugoslav states in the 1990s. If you say an army is cleansing an area, you are associating them with war criminals. Purify has similar problems.– chosterApr 11, 2017 at 14:58
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1 Answer
expelled verb
to drive or force out or away; discharge or eject: for example, to expel air from the lungs; or to expel an invader from a country.
They expelled the militants from the city makes sense.
