Carter in Irbil to get closer assessment of Mosul fight

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is visiting the northern Iraqi city of Irbil to get a closer look at the fight against Islamic State militants and will likely expand his discussions about the role of Turkish troops in the region.

Carter arrived Sunday and is expected to meet with Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani as well as military commanders who are not far from the battle to retake the northern city of Mosul from IS.

Carter spent Saturday in Baghdad getting updates from his top military leadership and meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Carter says the U.S. is prepared to provide additional support if requested by Iraq and American commanders.

Iraqi Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, have been advancing toward Mosul, moving in long columns of armored vehicles.