More than two thousand ISIS members killed or severely injured in the battle of Mosul

General Stephen Townsend, commander of the anti-ISIS coalition operations, says that during the battle of Mosul in Iraq, more than two thousand members of the group known as the 'Islamic State' have been killed or severely injured. He has denied reports of a 'pause' in operations. On December 12, during the first visit of the U.S. Secretary of Defense to the Qayyarah base since the start of the Mosul operations, he was present with Ashton Carter among journalists. According to Stephen Townsend, estimates indicate that between three to five thousand ISIS members are still in Mosul and are fighting against Iraqi forces. He states that the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi military forces have so far severely injured or eliminated two thousand of the total militants. The Associated Press reports that U.S. officials have refrained from disclosing the number of Iraqi soldiers killed during the battles. Another issue that drew a reaction from the U.S. commander in the anti-ISIS coalition was reports of a pause or 'stalemate' in the battles. Iraqi military forces, which had rapidly cleared the outskirts of Mosul, are now in residential and central areas of Mosul, and it seems that operations are progressing slowly. General Townsend told reporters that the Iraqi army has returned to the battles after a defeat two years ago and 'I don't think there has been anything resembling a stalemate [in the operations] there.' He mentioned that operations are currently taking place in urban areas: 'This is a major urban area. Any army in the world, including the U.S. Army, faces challenges in such operations.' Ashton Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, also emphasized that the liberation of Mosul is 'proceeding according to the plan from a year ago.' Before heading to Qayyarah to meet with U.S. military personnel, Mr. Carter stated in Bahrain that the liberation of Mosul and Raqqa, the main center of ISIS presence in Syria, is a critical prerequisite for the destruction of this group. Mosul, located 450 kilometers north of Baghdad, is the most important city under ISIS control in Iraq. This city and other areas in Iraq and Syria were captured by extremist militants during the group's advances two years ago. The operation to liberate Mosul began at the end of October. Reports indicate that due to insistence on closing all exit routes from the city, militants will have no choice but to continue fighting until death. However, there are major concerns regarding the situation of civilians, whose exit routes have also been closed.