Up to 150 foreign fighters are in the city, he said.

"We are running into more foreign fighters here and there."

The others were foreign fighters from countries he did not identify.

More than 50 foreign fighters have been captured in the past six weeks.

Foreign fighters, with no legal standing in Iraq, cannot be eligible.

Foreign fighters from outside Iraq are widely thought to play a key role in its network.

American military officials say most of the foreign fighters appear to be coming from Syria to the west.

"Where are the foreign fighters they claim were hiding there?"

The Americans have also captured or killed few foreign fighters in the operations.

He estimated that there were 700 to 1,000 foreign fighters inside the airport.