WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Daesh leaders have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul, while the majority of foreign fighters stayed to defend the stronghold, Operation Inherent Resolve commander Gen. Gary Volesky said in a briefing on Wednesday.
"We have got indications that [Daesh] leaders have left, a lot of foreign fighters we expect will stay," Volesky told reporters.
On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the military operation to retake Mosul from Daesh militants. According to local media, about 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the operation, backed by airstrikes carried out by the US-led international coalition.
