Iraqi Forces Find More IS ‘Pockets of Resistance’ in Ramadi

Iraqi forces trying to clear Ramadi after seizing the city from Islamic State militants are meeting with heavier resistance than first anticipated.

U.S. military officials initially said “the numbers are small” when asked about how many IS fighters were left in the city after Iraqi forces moved into key areas of Anbar’s provincial capital Monday. On Wednesday, however, officials said Iraqi forces were encountering “pockets of resistance” and sporadic attacks, indicating a larger presence.

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“I think it goes to show how much uncertainty there is about what is occurring on the ground,” said Thomas Joscelyn, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a terrorism research group in Washington.

“The U.S. doesn't really have firm figures for ISIL's forces,” he said, using an acronym for Islamic State. “The ambiguity in Ramadi is a part of a larger problem.”

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