Iraqi Forces to Take Over, Reclaim Ramadi ‘Soon’ - Pentagon

The US military said on Friday that Iraqi forces have made major gains in the city of Ramadi against the Islamic State and will likely finish their mission there soon, US-led coalition spokesperson Army Col. Steve Warren said.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Warren noted that Iraqi troops have recently outnumbered the Islamic State in Ramadi by "as many as ten to one," and that the offensive to reclaim Ramadi consists of between 8,000 to 10,000 Iraqi security forces.

"We believe the Iraqis will finish soon," the Military Times quoted Warren as saying on Friday.

He added that the government of Iraq has a "detailed plan to use tribal fighters, federal police and local police for stabilization" once the city is cleared.

Warren explained that there are no American military forces on the ground fighting alongside the three US-trained Iraqi brigades taking part in the Ramadi operation, fighting against 600 to 1,000 "well-entrenched" Islamic State militants.

The gains made by the Iraqi forces in Ramadi come several months after they launched a large-scale operation against the Islamic State to reclaim the capital of the Anbar province in July.