Iraqi forces reclaim Ramadi

Smoke rises from Islamic State positions following a U.S.-led coalition airstrike, as Iraqi Security forces enter downtown Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015.

In a major victory over the terror group Islamic State In Iraq, Security forces claim to have “full control” of central Ramadi city, which has been hotbed to terror group.

The Iraqi troops had struggled to make gains against the militant group in the city in recent days, after launching a major offensive last week to retake Ramadi, as ISIS militants fiercely battled against them.

Al-Mahlawi said he could neither confirm nor deny media reports that Islamic State fighters had pulled out of the government complex by nightfall Sunday. “The Iraqi counter terrorism forces have raised the Iraqi flag over the government complex”, joint operations spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said. Local leaders have called on the Iraq government to begin rebuilding the city as soon as possible.

The Iraqi army had already retaken the city of Tikrit from the jihadists in the spring.

Special operation commander Sami al-Aridhi said the plan was “to liberate all of Ramadi from three sides”.

Over the past year, the coalition has carried out numerous airstrikes against ISIL targets in both Iraq and Syria, forcing the militant group to withdraw from a number of areas it had previously captured, although it remains in firm control of Mosul.

Militants took over Ramadi in May.

Ramadi was the first major city recaptured by the army itself, without relying on the militias, who were kept off the battlefield to avoid sectarian tension with the mainly Sunni population.

The retaking of Ramadi would allow the Iraqi government to cut off supplies to Fallujah, which sits about halfway between Ramadi and Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.

One of the main challenges of the conflict since then has been rebuilding the Iraqi army into a force that can again capture and hold territory.

“Air strikes helped detonate explosive devices and booby-trapped houses, facilitating our advance”, he added.

Estimates at the beginning of the operation were that no more than 400 ISIS fighters remained hunkered down in central Ramadi and dozens have since been killed.

Ramadi fell to ISIL in May, an embarrassing setback to the Iraqi forces.