U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday expressed confidence that Iraqi forces and their allies will force Islamic State to abandon Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city.
He acknowledged, however, that the campaign to retake Mosul will be a "difficult fight."
"The start of Iraqi operations to liberate Mosul is another major step forward," Obama told reporters during a joint appearance at the White House with visiting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Monday saw the start of an offensive by Iraqi and Kurdish fighters aimed at liberating Mosul from IS, who have occupied the northern city since June 2014.
"There will be advances and there will be setbacks," Obama said of the military campaign, though adding that "ISIL (Islamic State) will be defeated in Mosul."
"In addition to rooting out ISIL, our focus jointly is on the safety and humanitarian aid for civilians who are escaping the fight," the president said.
The U.S. and other Western nations, including Italy, are providing support to the Iraqi push to reclaim the city.
Obama pointed out that among foreign countries, Italy is second only to the U.S. in the number of military personnel in Iraq, where the Italians have assumed responsibility for training Iraqi police.
Source: EFE
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