ISIS regrouping in Iraq, Pentagon report says

Assessment describes militant group as a "battle-hardened force" attracting an estimated 50 new foreign fighters every month. Iraqi children in the Nablus neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, near an Islamic State billboard on March 12, 2017.

ISIS is regrouping in Iraq faster than in Syria, according to a new Pentagon report, underscoring the fluid nature of the security threat in the Middle East.

The assessment of the efforts by ISIS to reestablish a foothold in the region comes as the U.S. military is moving forward with a plan to pull out of Syria.


Citing the ongoing threat posed by the terror group, several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and former defense officials have sharply criticized President Donald Trump's plan to draw down troops in Syria, as well as in Afghanistan.

The report, which was released Monday, confirms an NBC News story published last week that said a draft version had warned that ISIS could regain territory in six to 12 months in the absence of sustained military pressure.

An Iraqi forces member walks past a mural with the ISIS logo in the outskirts of Mosul in on March 1, 2017.

Iraqi President Barham Salih pushed back against the president Monday. "Those forces do not have the right to monitor many things, including watching Iran," Salih said. "We will not allow this."