About 1,000 Daesh Fighters Still in West Mosul, Difficult to Eliminate

Fewer than 1,000 Daesh fighters left in western Mosul, Iraq, according to Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. John Dorrian.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-led coalition against the Islamic State [Daesh] (outlawed in Russia) has estimated less than 1,000 fighters of the terror group remain in western Mosul, Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. John Dorrian said during a briefing on Wednesday.

"We think that there are fewer than 1,000 fighters left in the city… but they are in dense urban terrain of Mosul, and they are going to be very difficult to get out and to attack," Dorrian stated.

The US military, Dorrian added, would have to be prepared to a "very difficult and dangerous" fighting in west Mosul.

Dorrian also said the Iraqi government, not the US-led coalition, would be the one to stabilize the city.

However, US-designated planners, who work closely with the United Nations and non-government organizations, would be there to ensure the non-state actors understand the security situation in the area.