Iraqi PM announces victory over Islamic State in Mosul – UPDATE
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced victory over Islamic State in Mosul from the operations room of the Counter-Terrorism Service, his media office said on Twitter on Monday.
UPDATE: The U.S.-led coalition backing Iraqi forces against Islamic State on Monday warned that victory against the ultra-hardline group in Mosul did not mark the end of its global threat and urged Iraqis to unite to defeat the militants.
The coalition welcomed a Mosul victory announcement moments earlier by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
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“While there are still areas of the Old City of Mosul that must be back-cleared of explosive devices and possible ISIS fighters in hiding, the ISF (Iraqi security forces) have Mosul now firmly under their control,” it said in a statement.
UPDATE: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally declared victory over Islamic State on Monday in a speech on state television, marking the biggest defeat for the group since it declared a caliphate three years ago.
“I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul,” he said using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
State TV said earlier that Abadi would soon deliver an “historic statement” after he arrived in Mosul a day earlier to congratulate military commanders on a nearly nine month battle to dislodge the insurgents.
We joined the people of Mosul in their celebration of the city’s liberation, brought about through the sacrifices of our brave forces pic.twitter.com/wnxMXZhWGZ
— Haider Al-Abadi (@HaiderAlAbadi) July 10, 2017
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