Iraq’s Abadi visits Ramadi to celebrate Islamic State defeat

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday flew down to Ramadi, a day after the capital city of Anbar province was liberated by the government forces from the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) group in a landmark victory.

Ramadi, the provincial capital of the western Anbar province, fell to the Islamic State in May, marking a major setback for Iraqi forces and the U.S.-led campaign there.Ramadi and nearby Fallujah, which has been under the control of the Islamic State, saw some of the heaviest fighting of the eight-year US intervention in Iraq.

The success by Iraqi military forces in securing the government complex “clearly demonstrates that the enemy is losing momentum as they steadily cede territory” in Iraq and Syria, said Gen. Lloyd Austin, head of U.S. Central Command, which is in charge of the fight against ISIS.

“We are coming to liberate Mosul and it will be the fatal and final blow to [ISIL]”.

The victory allows Iraqi and coalition forces to focus more attention on capturing the northern city of Mosul, which is by far the largest population center controlled by ISIS.

“Then over the border in Iraq, in addition to Ramadi – which we have to remember ISIS only took in May this year – the extremists have been pushed out of several cities – Tikrit, Sinjar, Beiji – sometimes by security forces, sometimes by an array of ethnic or religious militias”.

State TV on Monday showed pictures of soldiers in Ramadi firing their guns in the air and publicly slaughtering a sheep in celebration.

Such a strategy would echo the USA military’s “surge” campaign of 2006-2007, which relied on recruiting and arming Sunni tribal fighters against al Qaeda, Islamic State’s precursor.

Iraq’s military raised the Iraqi flag above the central government compound in Ramadi after it declared victory.

Islamic State fighters are putting up a tough fight in the militant-held city of Ramadi, slowing down the advance of Iraqi forces, a senior Iraqi commander said Sunday.

A White House official said President Barack Obama, who is on vacation in Hawaii, had been briefed on the battle and had saluted the Iraqi forces’ “courage and determination”.

“Daesh has planted more than 300 explosive devices on the roads and in the buildings of the government complex”, said Brig Gen Majid al Fatlawi of the army’s 8th division.

Iraqi armed forces have retaken Ramadi city from Daesh, the Iraqi military announced Monday.

Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and pro-government militias were long stalled in their efforts to retake territory, but have made recent gains. “We will continue to stand with the Iraqi people until IS is defeated”, he added.

The BBC’s Thomas Fessy, who is in Ramadi, says the battle against IS has destroyed the urban landscape.