U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with his Iraqi counterpart Arfan Al Hayali on Tuesday. The two defense ministers discussed the role of U.S. forces in Iraq after the recapture of the remaining cities under Islamic State.

Mattis stated that Washington will continue to support the Iraqi forces in the fight against Islamic State.

The U.S. Defense Minister’s visit came just days after the start of an offensive to oust Islamic State from the city of Tal Afar.

Tags: Iraqi forces, Islamic State, U-S