US Defense Secretary Carter in Iraq for Talks on Mosul
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - US Defense Secretary Ash Carter is in Baghdad on Sunday for talks with Iraqi leaders on the military campaign against Daesh (ISIL) militants in Mosul, the Pentagon said.
Iraqi forces have been battling ISIL in Mosul for eight weeks. The army has recaptured about a quarter of the city, but has faced major counter attacks by the retreating terrorists.
Carter said last week the battle for Mosul, while hard, could be complete before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. That, however would require a significant acceleration in the Iraqi army's progress.
The Pentagon said Carter would meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the president of the Kurdish region Massoud Barzani and the commander of the US-led coalition supporting Iraqi forces, US Lieutenant-General Steve Townsend, Reuters reported.
He will "thank US, coalition, and Iraqi troops engaged in the counter-ISIL campaign, survey key locations directly supporting the battle for Mosul, and discuss the next steps in the fight" against ISIL, it said in a statement.