"Secretary Mattis congratulated Minister Hayali on his new position and praised the Iraqis' hard-won gains against ISIS [Daesh] — most recently in eastern Mosul. Both discussed planning for operations to liberate western Mosul," Davis stated on Wednesday.
The spokesman added that Mattis and Hayali affirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation and partnership.
Mosul is Iraq's second largest city, it was captured by Daesh in June 2014. The eastern part of Mosul was liberated from the terrorists by Iraqi and US-led international coalition forces in late January 2017.
The US-led coalition of 68 nations is conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The Islamic State, also known as Daesh in Arabic, is outlawed in many countries around the world.
