Britain congratulates Iraq on retaking IS-held city

In addition to lifting the morale of Iraq’s security forces, the Ramadi victory should enhance the political standing of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the Shiite leader who has been more moderate and reform-minded than his pro-Iran political rivals, who have fueled sectarian violence for years.

The Iraqi army will need Kurdish fighters’ help to retake Mosul, the largest city under the control of Islamic State, Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said, with the planned offensive expected to be very challenging.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi has arrived in the country’s western city of Ramadi after it was liberated from Daesh (Islamic State).

‘The expulsion of ISIL (another name for Islamic State) by Iraqi security forces, supported by our worldwide coalition, is a significant step forward in the campaign to defeat this barbaric group and restore Iraq’s territorial sovereignty, ‘ US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said.

Iraqi officials gave no immediate death toll from the battle.

But Denselow warns that the fact that “a relatively small number of ISIS fighters have been able to fend off a much larger force for so long with such a large level of destruction is a worrying portent of things to come”.

There are formidable obstacles ahead as well as questions about how President Barack Obama’s strategy in Iraq relates to the fight against the Islamic State in Syria and about a deepening American involvement in the conflict.

He specifically praised the Shiite militia forces for liberating Ramadi, although his remarks contradicted earlier reports that such armed groups, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMG), did not play a role in taking back the Sunni city.

“I expect our partners on the ground in both Iraq and Syria, with coalition assistance, to continue to roll back ISIL gains”, he added, using another name for IS.

But the achievement of Iraqi forces in driving the enemy out of Ramadi deserves recognition for what it says about their turnaround since last spring.

Gunshots and an explosion could be heard as a state TV reporter interviewed other soldiers celebrating the victory with their automatic weapons held in the air. The government says most civilians were able to evacuate before it launched its assault.

The army’s apparent capture of Ramadi, in the Euphrates River valley west of Baghdad, marks a milestone for the forces, which crumbled when the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militants seized a third of Iraq in June 2014.

Militants took over Ramadi in May.

“We are coming to liberate Mosul”, Abadi said.

Iraq has not divulged any casualty figures for federal forces but medics said close to 100 government fighters were brought to Baghdad hospitals on Sunday alone.

By the evening, a military commander, Major General Ismail al-Mahlawi, estimated that the government controlled 75 percent to 80 percent of the Ramadi area.

In 2006, when USA troops battled for control of Ramadi, the government compound was a key focus of fighting.