Offense against Islamic State

Ash Carter: Offense against Islamic State in Syrian stronghold to start within weeks

By Louis Nelson

An offensive to take out the Islamic State from its stronghold in Raqqa, Syria will start within several weeks, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

Carter told NBC News of the timeline as Iraqi forces are currently clashing the Islamic State in Mosul, a city held by the extremist group in Iraq.

"It's been long a part of our plan that the Mosul operation would kick off when it did. This was a plan that goes back many months now and that Raqqa would follow soon behind,” Carter said.

While Mosul is the largest city under the control of the militant group in Iraq, Raqqa is its de facto capital. Carter, fresh off of a visit to Iraq, said the 5,000 U.S. forces stationed there supporting the mission to retake Mosul are not currently near the city.

“Our forces do accompany… the Iraqi security forces and the Peshmerga. So they will get nearer to the city as those forces get nearer to the city,” he said. “We are not going to be part of the occupation or hold forces."

The coalition of forces doing the fighting to liberate Mosul is made up on Iraqi security forces as well as Kurdish militia groups. That coalition, supported by U.S. forces, has made steady progress towards Mosul, although the fight to retake Iraq’s second largest city is expected to grow more difficult and ultimately become a months-long battle.