300 ISIS fighters holed up in Mosul

Iraqi Federal Police members hold an Islamic State flag, which they pulled down during fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, in the Old City of Mosul

Iraqi Federal Police members hold an Islamic State flag, which they pulled down during fighting between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq July 4, 2017. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad - RTX3A0D3

An Iraqi commander says he believes some 300 Islamic State fighters remain in the small patch of territory still controlled by the group in Mosul’s Old City.

Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridi of Iraq’s special forces said Wednesday that the militants are confined to a 500 square meter area.

He spoke the day after Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the armed forces on a “big victory” in Mosul, despite ongoing clashes.

ISIS captured Mosul in a matter of days when it swept across northern and central Iraq in the summer of 2014. Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition launched a major operation to retake the city in October. (AlArabiya)

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