The Pentagon—The US Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged on Friday that efforts to retake Ramadi were at a stalemate as Iraqi security forces (ISF) had failed to make progress in wresting control of the Sunni city from the Islamic State (ISIS).
“We acknowledge that the Iraqis have not made any significant forward movement recently,” said CENTCOM Spokesman Colonel Pat Ryder, who briefed reporters in the Pentagon via teleconference.
Ryder urged the Iraqi forces to act swiftly and stop any attempts by the Islamist militants to consolidate their positions in the city.
“As part of the advise and assist program, and in consultation with Iraqi senior leaders, we continue to encourage ISF leaders to move as quickly as possible to prevent giving ISIL time and space to regroup and resupply,” he added.
The Iraqi army suffered a second humiliating defeat in the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi in May when they lost the Sunni city to ISIS militants.
The CENTCOM official said that the coalition was talking with their Iraqi counterparts to understand why they were not moving into Ramadi despite digging their positions around the city.
“In terms of the Iraqis around Ramadi, again, we've seen them taking their positions and -- and preparing for seizure operations, but in terms of why they have not moved, that's a question that we're discussing with Iraqis, again, encouraging them to move as quickly as possible, to move in on ISIL and take the city,” said Ryder.
Ryder added however that the ultimate decision to launch military operations against ISIS in Ramadi lay with the Iraqis.
“This is an Iraqi-led operation,” he said. “They will move at their pace. And so we are supportive of their plan, but it's certainly something that we're discussing with them,”
To strengthen Iraqi and Kurdish forces in their fight against ISIS in the north and west of the country, said Ryder, the US has trained six Iraqi brigades, including ten Peshmerga battalions, and 2,100 counterterrorism service personnel.
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