ISIS militants have been expelled from their main stronghold in Iraq's north and are trapped between converging forces, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said.

“So ISIS’s days are certainly numbered, but it’s not over yet and it’s not going to be over any time soon,” Associated Press quotes Mattis.

While the Iraqi forces’ campaign to retake the city of Tal Afar is underway, Mattis said he does not want to make predictions.

As reported earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived on an unannounced visit to Baghdad Tuesday.