U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters have entered the battle for Mosul in support of Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State terror group, the head of the famed 101st Airborne Division running the coalition’s ground component told reporters Wednesday.
(FOX)– The helicopters have been “flying at night supporting any nighttime operations that the Iraqi security forces are doing,” Maj. Gen. Gary J. Volesky said from Baghdad.
Also Wednesday, Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters the Mosul operation was “on track.”
The U.S. military assesses ISIS could morph into an insurgent group and carry out “high profile” attacks if it’s driven from Mosul, according to Volesky.
“[ISIS] will try to do these high profile spectacular attacks,” he said. “We’ve seen them do that before.”
Volesky said he was concerned any ISIS attacks away from Mosul inside Iraq could stall the operation to liberate the country’s second-largest city.
“One of the things that I’m worried about as well is, you know, the enemy tries a spectacular attack, tries to figure out how to retain some ground in the Euphrates River Valley and causes the attention of the government of Iraq to come back south and that delays or stalls the momentum going forward,” he said.
Echoing earlier statements from senior U.S. officials, Volesky said foreign fighters have remained in Mosul, part of the estimated 3,000-5,000 ISIS fighters in that city. “We expect there will be a fight,” he said.