The American military, along with its international partners, will need to remain in Iraq even after the expected defeat of the Islamic State group, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Saturday.

Carter said the U.S. and its coalition partners must not stop after completing the current campaign to expel ISIS from Mosul.

He said the militants are on a path to lasting defeat.

“But there will still be much more to do after that to make sure that, once defeated, ISIL stays defeated,” he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group. “We’ll need to continue to counter foreign fighters trying to escape and ISIL’s attempts to relocate or reinvent itself. To do so, not only the United States but our coalition must endure and remain engaged militarily.”

Read More- Military Times

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