“With these additional United States forces I’m describing today, we’ll bring unique capability to the campaign and provide critical support to the Iraqi forces at a key moment in the fight”, Mr Carter told a gathering of U.S. troops in Baghdad.
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Abadi met in Baghdad on Wednesday, with the commander of US forces in the Middle East, General Joseph Votel, to discuss preparations for the Mosul offensive, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Obama announced last week that he would keep 8,400 USA troops in Afghanistan after this year, rather than cut their numbers to 5,500 as he once planned.
If commanders need more troops, Carter said he’ll “ask the president for them”.
The additional 560 USA forces being sent to Iraq will remain hidden from public view given that much of the population blames foreign – and especially U.S. military intervention – for creating and strengthening the terrorist group, the private intelligence firm Soufan Group said in a report on Tuesday. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the success and said residents should “get ready for the liberation”. USA officials said a team of American troops went into Qayara for a quick site assessment Sunday and left.
“At every step in this campaign, we have generated and seized additional opportunities to hasten ISIL’s lasting defeat”, Carter told several dozen service members during his unannounced visit to the country, using an acronym for the Islamic State.
Al-Asadi said one of two runways at the airfield had been badly damaged, along with some buildings.
The ultimate goal was “the recapture of all of Iraqi territory by the Iraqi security forces, but of course Mosul is the biggest part of that”, Carter said earlier.
The advance to the south of Mosul brought the village of Ajhala back under government control to the north of the Qayara Air Base, which was retaken by government forces on July 9.
Islamic State has been turning increasingly to suicide bombings, which US and Iraqi officials have touted as proof that battlefield setbacks are weakening the jihadists.
A massive truck bombing struck a bustling commercial area in a Baghdad’s predominantly Shia neighbourhood of Karada, killing 292 people – one of the deadliest attacks since the 2003 US-led invasion.
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By reclaiming the six villages which include Jarat the Iraqi troops now have under their control the main road that links Qayara to Shargat, said Hevidar Ahmed, Rudaw correspondent on the front.
