ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reiterated that the Islamic State (ISIS) no longer poses a threat to the country, in a meeting in Baghdad on Sunday with the commander of the US-led international coalition.
“[T]he remnants of ISIS no longer pose a threat to the Iraqi state, as they have become isolated groups hiding in remote areas to avoid capture,” Sudani’s office cited the premier as saying during the meeting with coalition commander US Major General Kevin C. Leahy and US Ambassador to Baghdad Alina Romanowski.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday that at least 15 suspected ISIS members were killed in a joint military operation by the US military and Iraqi security forces in western Iraq.
“ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
At least seven US troops were injured, including five wounded, during the operation, the Associated Press has reported citing a US defense official on the condition of anonymity.
The coalition’s future role in Iraq, cooperation in training Iraqi security forces, and intelligence collaboration were also highlighted in the meeting between Sudani and the US officials, according to Sudani’s statement.
“The meeting focused on the progress of the technical dialogue between both sides about ending the Coalition's mission in Iraq and transitioning to a framework of bilateral relations between Iraq and Coalition member states,” the statement added.
The Iraqi government has expressed anger over US retaliatory strikes on pro-Iran, Iraqi paramilitary groups. The US strikes have been in response to hundreds of rockets and drone strikes since October, targeting US installations and troops in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.
In January, Sudani presided over the first meeting of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC) to discuss the future of the coalition’s mission in Iraq.
While Baghdad has maintained that the commission aims to conclude the presence of the coalition forces in the country, Washington has described the step only as a “transition” in the coalition’s role.
Following a meeting between Iraqi and US defense officials in Washington in late July, the two sides said in a joint statement that they have reached an understanding on how to usher in a new phase of security ties, which includes “cooperation through liaison officers, training, and traditional security cooperation programs.”