IS group loses most territories it held in Iraq: spokesman

The Islamic State (IS) group has lost most of the territories it held in Iraq after years of battles by Iraqi security forces to dislodge the extremist group from their strongholds in the country, an Iraqi military spokesman said on Tuesday.

"The areas that under control of Daesh (IS group) until March 31, 2017 is 6.8 percent of Iraq's territory, after it was 40 percent of the country's territory in June 10, 2014," Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool told a news conference.

In June 2014, the extremist IS group took control of large areas in western and northern Iraq, and seized large amounts of weapons and ammunition left by the Iraqi security forces who fled their military camps and positions during the blitzkrieg of the extremist militants.

Months later, the Iraqi security forces backed by tens of thousands of Shiite and Sunni volunteers, known as Hashd Shaabi paramilitary units, and with the air support provided by international coalition led by the United States, the troops managed to recapture most of Iraq's key cities, towns and villages from the IS group.

The extremist group is still fighting desperately to keep its last major stronghold in the western side of Mosul, as well as smaller areas in Tal Afar, Hawija in northern Iraq, Qaim and Aana near the border with Syria in the western province of Anbar.

However, Rasool asserted that the United States and other Western countries have provided airstrikes, intelligence and equipment to the Iraqi forces which began their offensive in October to free the city of Mosul from IS group.

The battles in Iraq's second largest city of Mosul brought the eastern side of Mosul, locally known as left bank of Tigris River, under the control of Iraqi forces in January, but the push in western side of the city with its narrow streets and heavily populated neighborhood slowed down the troops, according to Rasool. Endit