Fighters of Islamic-State:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday formally declared victory over Islamic State (IS) in the city of Mosul, marking the biggest defeat of the group since it declared a caliphate in 2014.

al-Abadisaid “I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul.”

While making his speech which was shown on state television, he used an Arabic acronym for the IS.

The fall of Mosul effectively marked the end of Iraqi half of the Islamic State caliphate, which included territory in Syria.

The group still controls territory west and south of the city.

A 100,000-strong coalition of Iraqi government units, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shi’ite militias launched the offensive to recapture the city from militants in October, with key air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition.

al-Abadi, wearing a black military uniform and flanked by commanders from the security forces, thanked troops and the coalition.

He, however, warned that there were more challenges ahead.

“We have another mission ahead of us, to create stability, to build and clear Daesh cells and that requires an intelligence and security effort, and the unity which enabled us to fight Daesh,” he said before raising an Iraqi flag.

About 900,000 residents were displaced by the fights, and thousands of civilians were believed to have been killed.

The whereabouts of IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who announced the founding of the caliphate from Mosul three years ago, was not clear.

There were several unconfirmed claims of his death. U.S. and Iraqi military sources said he may be hiding in the border area between Iraq and Syria. (Reuters/NAN)
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