US Gen Martin Dempsey says 'momentum turning against IS' in Iraq

A top United States military official has told the American troops in Iraq that although the battle to take on the Islamic State (IS) is likely to take several years but the momentum is turning against the group.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the statement while he was on an announced visit to Baghdad. He called the militants, "a bunch of midgets running around with a really radical ideology" but admitted that the fight cannot be won by U.S. alone, reported the BBC.

The U.S. has launched several air strikes targeting the IS and has more than 1,000 troops in Iraq to help train the local forces.