Iraq PM vows to free country from IS jihadists in 2016

Iraqi security forces enter heavy damaged downtown Ramadi, Dec. 27.

Military sources told the Reuters news agency that Abadi arrived by helicopter with the province’s top military commander at the Anbar University complex in the city’s southern outskirts and was scheduled to meet with army and counter-terrorism commanders. The militants blew up all bridges leading into the city center. Fighting was only brought to an end by the so-called “Awakening” policy of the USA military, which effectively involved buying off the tribal leaders of numerous insurgents and placing tens of thousands of resistance fighters on the US-funded Iraqi government payroll.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool announced on Monday that government forces had retaken the capital of Anbar Province after a protracted siege.

For a week Iraqi special forces led the fight to retake Ramadi. Ramadi, the largest city, and capital of Al-Anbar, held out until last May when it was finally captured by IS fighters. “I confirm to you (Iraqis) and the whole world that if not we were acting carefully to protect the safety of the families besieged in Ramadi we would have completed the liberation before this date a long time ago” Abadi said in his speech broadcast by the state-run Iraqiya channel. Some could be seen slaughtering a sheep, while others raised their weapons and danced.

USA military spokesman Colonel Steven Warren revealed in a press statement that at least 630 air strikes had been launched against ISIS targets in Ramadi since July.

Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the head of the U.S. Central Command, congratulated Iraqi forces on the “important operational achievement”.

As significant – and symbolic – as the action was, Iraqi military officials said Islamic State fighters were still holed up in various pockets of the city. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

“Even with this success, the fight against ISIL is far from over”, the defense secretary said.

The Iraqi authorities did not divulge any casualty figures for the federal forces but medics told AFP that close to 100 wounded government fighters were brought to Baghdad hospitals on Sunday alone.

A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US-led campaign against Islamic State was unable to confirm at this point whether the militants had been cleared out of the the government complex. “2016 will be the year of the big and final victory, when [ISIL’s] presence in Iraq will be terminated”, he said.

“While Ramadi is not yet fully secure and additional parts of the city still must be retaken, Iraq’s national flag now flies above the provincial government center and enemy forces have suffered a major defeat”, Kerry said. The IS group has declared a self-styled caliphate on the territory under its control.