US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Sunday confirmed US troops were assisting Iraqi forces in their military operation to dislodge ISIS militants from the western half of Mosul.
Mattis refused to be drawn out on specifics of the operation, but told reporters in Abu Dhabi that US troops were “very close to it if not already engaged in that fight”.
He also commented on the situation in Afghanistan and his relations with the media.
Mattis is visiting the United Arab Emirates as part of his first trip to the Middle East since taking office.
(AP)