US Defense Secretary confirms controlling situation in Baghdad by of Iraqi security forces

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Saturday Iraqi security forces were in full control of Baghdad but that the embattled Syrian city of Kobani was a very difficult problem.

Hagel told a news conference in the Chilean capital that the fight against Islamic State militants, who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, was a long-term fight.

Hagel, who is in Santiago for meetings with leaders, also said the U.S. continues to use airstrikes to go after Islamic State militants in the Syrian border town of Kobani. But he said extremists are still threatening the town and are occupying part of the outskirts.

“It’s a dangerous situation,” he said, adding that the U.S. is doing what it can from the air and, “in fact, there has been some progress made in that area.” /End/