Iraq declares 'victory' over IS in Mosul

The Iraqi Prime Minister announced today a "victory" against Islamic State militants in the city of Mosul.

Iraqi soldiers celebrate their victory on July 8th after advancing into the center of Mosul. Photo: Reuters.

"The commander-in-chief of the armed forces and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has arrived in the newly liberated city of Mosul to congratulate the brave fighters and people of Iraq on a great victory," Reuters quoted a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's office.

For the past six months, Iraqi government forces have been launching continuous offensives to retake Mosul from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants. The city has been occupied by IS since 2014. Fighting has intensified in Mosul in recent weeks. Several witnesses reported seeing the bodies of IS fighters scattered in the streets.

An Iraqi military spokesman said yesterday that ISIS's defensive lines are crumbling, but they are still fiercely fighting back with sniper fire and suicide bombings. This is forcing government forces to fight for every house in the crowded, densely populated areas.

Iraqi soldiers celebrate victory in Mosul. Video: Reuters.

The campaign to liberate Mosul, the IS capital in Iraq, was spearheaded by the Iraqi government army and Kurdish militias. A foreign coalition led by the US provided air and artillery support.

The war has forced 900,000 civilians, nearly half the population of Mosul, to flee their homes and killed thousands. Many structures in the city were damaged, with nearly 500 buildings completely destroyed. The United Nations estimates that the cost of restoring Mosul's basic infrastructure could exceed one billion USD.

According to VNE