The U.S. military says Iraq forces have essentially defeated the Islamic State in the eastern portion of Mosul, the last stronghold of the organization in Iraq.
The Iraqi government says the operation to secure Mosul is 70 to 80 percent complete in the eastern section of the northern Iraq city.
“In terms of the doctrinal definition of defeat, you can say there has been a defeat there, because they have certainly broken their will to fight,” said Army Col. Brett Sylvia, commander of the U.S. mission to advise and assist Iraq in its battle against the Islamic State. “So the Iraqi security forces continue to make great progress there.”
But Sylvia said now that Islamic State fighters are confined to western Mosul, “the fight is not over.”
The U.S. says the Iraqi military has pulled off an amazing turnaround over the past nine months, transforming from a ragtag force riven by secular divisions to an effective fighting force capable of carrying complex maneuver warfare.
“Every day, they’re getting better at that as they continue to gain more experience at this, they gain more confidence. Their leaders gain greater competence,” Sylvia said.
