Militants are confined to a 500 square meter area, Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridi says

An Iraqi commander says he believes some 300 Islamic State (IS) fighters remain in the small patch of territory still controlled by the group in Mosul’s Old City.

Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridi of Iraq’s special forces said on Wednesday that the militants are confined to a 500 square meter (600 sq. yard) area.

He spoke the day after Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the armed forces on a “big victory” in Mosul, despite ongoing clashes.

IS captured Mosul in a matter of days when it swept across northern and central Iraq in the summer of 2014. Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition launched a major operation to retake the city in October.