BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said on Tuesday that they needed three months to completely eliminate Islamic State from Iraq.
“Iraqi forces are advancing in the city of Mosul and there are no foreigners fighting with our forces in the city,” Abadi said at a press conference held in the Iraqi capital.
“Iraqi air forces managed to repulse more than 900 car bombs prepared by IS since the start of the offensive to retake Mosul two months ago,” he added.
Al-Abadi also said: “We are fighting a war of attrition against IS; as the terrorist group suffers deaths and injuries every day, we regularly follow the preparations of our troops to meet their needs.”
On Saturday, Iraqi forces resumed their offensive in Mosul -- which began in late October -- after a week-long hiatus.
Iraqi officials have vowed to recapture Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, from IS before the year-end.
The city was overran -- along vast swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq -- by Islamic State in 2014.
