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U.S., Iraqi leaders vow to retake IS stronghold

Xinhua, September 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi discussed on Monday plans to retake Iraqi city Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) in a major offensive against the extremist group.

Obama said despite the fact that the IS has embedded itself deeply within Mosul, he and Abadi felt confident that the offensive will "move forward fairly rapidly."

"Hopefully, by the end of this year, we will have seen further progress with respect to Mosul," Obama told reporters after his meeting with Abadi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Abadi, in an optimistic tone, said the two leaders hoped the IS will be driven out of Mosul "within the next few months."

However, Obama also acknowledged that it will be a tough battle to retake the IS stronghold.

"This is going to be hard. This is going to be challenging and will require resources," he said, adding that he will seek more support from Congress as well as other countries.

He also emphasized the importance of providing rapid humanitarian assistance to people in Mosul after the IS is driven out of the city.

Last month, Iraqi security forces launched an operation to flush out the IS militants from the town of Qayyara south of Mosul, following victory in July to recapture a strategic airbase near Qayyara.

Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, has been controlled by the IS since June 2014, when the Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, giving the IS militants opportunities to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Endi