US defence secy arrives in Iraq on unannounced visit
BAGHDAD: US defence secretary James Mattis arrived in Iraq on Tuesday, just days after the start of an offensive to take back the city of Tal Afar, to speak with Iraqi leaders about the next steps in the fight against Islamic State.
Matt is has warned that the end of the militant group is far from close. Iraqi security forces launched an offensive to take back the city of Tal Afar on Sunday, their latest objective in the US-backed campaign to defeat Islamic State militants, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said.
A long-time stronghold of hardline insurgents, Tal Afar, 80 km west of Mosul in Iraq’s far north, has experienced cycles of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias.
“ISIS’ days are certain lyn um- bered, but it is not over yet and it is not going to be over anytime soon,” Mattis told reporters in Am man. He said that after retaking Tal A far, Iraqi forces would move against the western Euphrates river valley. He added that Iraqi security forces were capable of carrying out simultaneous operations.
Brett McGurk, the US special envoy to the coalition against IS, told reporters that while the battle for Tal Afar would be difficult, Iraqi forces had re taken 235 sq km in the first 24 hours.