The Pentagon chief praised the efforts of the Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, and acknowledged their battle losses. REELING ISIS TRICKS BOYS AS YOUNG AS 8 INTO FIGHTING ON MOSUL FRONT LINES"They fight extremely well. The U.S. is prepared to provide additional support for the fight if requested by Iraq and U.S. commanders, Carter said in the capital. More than 100 U.S. special operations forces are embedded with the Kurds and Iraqi military commandos. IS captured Mosul and the surrounding area during a lightning advance across northern Iraq in the summer of 2014.

Source: Fox News October 23, 2016 12:50 UTC