U.S. forces embedding more to help Iraqis retake Mosul - commander

Iraqi rapid response forces gather during a fight with Islamic State militants in Intisar district of eastern Mosul, Iraq, December 22, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily

MAKHMOUR, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces assisting Iraqi troops to retake Mosul from Islamic State are embedding more extensively, a senior commander said on Friday, a move that could accelerate a two month-old campaign which has slackened after quick initial advances.

More than 5,000 American service members are currently deployed in Iraq as part of an international coalition that is advising local forces in a bid to recapture the third of the country the jihadists seized in 2014 when Iraq's army and police dropped their weapons and fled.