Islamic State is in tatters, top U. S. general asserts

Iraq’s swift offensive, aided by U. S. airstrikes, has enemy cornered

Islamic State fighters are in disarray and struggling to fend off a rapid offensive by Iraqi forces to recapture Mosul and expel the militants from their last major stronghold in the country, a top U. S. military official said.

“They’re lacking purpose motivation and direction,” Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin said in an interview from Baghdad. “I’ve never seen them so disorganized.”

The pace of the battle reflects great improvements in Iraq’s military and its ability to coordinate operations with a U. S.- led air campaign, which is pounding the militants at a record pace.

“You’re watching ISIS be annihilated,” Martin said, using another name for the Islamic State.

Iraq’s military has quickly penetrated a set of obstacles, including concrete barriers and roadside bombs, the militants had established to slow the Iraqi advance, Martin said, and the militants “are taking longer to react to initiatives on the battlefield.”

Iraq’s military has been battling ISIS since the militants invaded Iraq from Syria in 2014 with little resistance. U. S. training and guidance have resulted in a much stronger fighting force that has retaken major cities such as Ramadi and Fallujah.

Mosul is Iraq’s second- largest city, after the capital, Baghdad.

The militants’ disarray could be the result of repeated airstrikes that have wiped out battlefield leaders, which makes it difficult for ISIS fighters to organize an effective response.

The militants also are badly outnumbered. About 100,000 Iraqi security forces and Kurdish militia have been involved in the offensive into Mosul and the surrounding countryside since the campaign began. They initially faced a militant force of 3,000 to 5,000 defending the city. The Pentagon estimates that 2,000 or fewer ISIS fighters remain there.

This week, the militants mounted a counterattack west of the city but were rebuffed by Iraqi ground forces and coalition aircraft. “The counterattack was destroyed,” Martin said. “Their morale has to be pretty low.”

Iraqi forces also have “disrupted” a key militant capability: the use of drones to conduct reconnaissance of Iraqi positions, Martin said. He declined to detail how that was accomplished.

Iraq’s military, which has captured key government buildings, estimated it has retaken about 30% of western Mosul since the assault began Feb. 19, and it is beginning to clear dense neighborhoods of enemy fighters.

Still, U. S. officials expect tough resistance as Iraqi forces clear the neighborhoods in the old city, where militants are holed up in buildings and alleyways.

Said Brett McGurk, a U. S. envoy to the anti- ISIS coalition: “I do not want to understate the difficult fight that lies ahead.”

AHMAD AL- RUBAYE, AFP/ GETTY IMAGES A member of Iraq’s U. S.- trained elite Counter Terrorism Service takes cover as Iraqi forces press their advance into Mosul, the last major stronghold of the besieged Islamic State.