A senior U.S. military commander in Iraq on Sunday gave a vote of confidence to Iraqi forces fighting to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, saying they were currently “at their peak” and adjusting well to changing realities on the battlefield.
(FOX)- Speaking to The Associated Press in an interview, Brig. Gen. Rick Uribe said he agrees with the forecast given by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that it would take another three months to liberate Mosul, the last Iraqi urban center still in the hands of the extremist group.
“I think that sounds reasonable that we could potentially have a liberated Mosul in about that time period,” Uribe said, dismissing the notion that Iraqi forces are behind schedule.
“We are on pretty close to where we want to be,” said Uribe, explaining that military planners knew that while the initial push toward the city would be quick, progress would become “significantly” slower on the city’s fringes.
Uribe, speaking in Irbil, capital of the self-ruled Kurdish region in northern Iraq, said Iraqi forces north and south of Mosul have made progress since a new offensive was launched last week after a two-week lull in fighting.
A government campaign to liberate Mosul and surrounding areas in Nineveh province began in mid-October. However, more than two months later, the only major fighting inside the city has been done by elite Counterterrorism Forces, also known as the “Golden Division.”