This dealt a sober blow to the terror group and its supporters. The liberation of Mosul will facilitate the recapturing of other areas in the Arab nation.
On July 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally declared victory of the country’s forces over the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group one day after the country’s military and Popular Mobilization Forces took full control of the northern city.
"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," he said, adding, "It was due to the Iraqi nation’s united front and sacrifice that we are now celebrating the victory over Daesh. This is the victory over darkness and terrorism,” al-Abadi said.
The recapture of Mosul, located some 400 kilometers north of Baghdad, marks the effective end of Daesh in the Arab country.
The Iraqi troops retook Mosul through the support of Popular Mobilization Forces, which means that Baghdad is able to remove security threats without relying on foreign troops.
Presently, Mosul’s recapture has helped Iran, Iraq and Syria to boost their anti-Daesh battle, Iran Daily wrote.
Mosul fell in June 2014, when Daesh in an attack took control of the city. Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul on October 16, 2016.
The eastern part of Mosul was recaptured from Daesh in about three months and the most populated part of the city, known as the Old City of Mosul, in the western bank of Tigris River was liberated in recent days.
Counter-Terrorism Efforts
What happened in Mosul is not an event specific to Iraq, but it has to do with the destiny of the whole region and the Islamic Ummah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said while was referring to the recapture of Mosul from Daesh terrorists, also known as ISIS.
Nasrallah recently praised Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Sistani for issuing a Fatwa calling on all Muslims to stand against terrorism.
The Lebanese senior cleric also emphasized the role of Ayatollah Sistani’s call (Fatwa) to encourage the Iraqi in the fight against terrorism, as well as establishing the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), comprised of thousands of Iraqi youths for fighting Daesh.
Nasrallah also appreciated Iran for its support of the Iraqi forces to stand against invasion of the Takfiris and added that Iran’s Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC) officers contributed to a great extent to the victory achieved in Iraq against Daesh.
Praising the role of Sunni clerics for refuting the claims that the battle was a sectarian one, Nasrallah said that Sunni-Shia unity paved the way for defeating Daesh, and it successfully foiled plots by some media.
Iran Massive Supports
Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki expressed his gratitude to Iran for its massive supports for the Arab country in the fight against Daesh terrorist group and its major role in the recent liberation of Mosul from the terrorists.
A former prime minister, offered congratulations over the full liberation of Mosul from Daesh terrorists and thanked all those nations that sided with the Iraqi people and government in the anti-terror campaign.
“Among all those who rushed to help Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran should be thanked first, which came to the aid of Iraq with all its might,” he said, adding that Iranian advisers’ blood has been shed in battlefields against terrorists like their Iraqi brothers’.
Iraq's Integrity
Talking to Ammar Hakim, the head of the National Iraqi Alliance (NIA), President Hassan Rouhani said on that Mosul liberation should reinforce Iraq's integrity, adding that Iran supports Iraqi stability and unity.
Rouhani added that in light of prudence of Iraqi officials and strengthening and integrity of all ethnic groups, happiness of the Iraqi nation over Mosul liberation should be preserved and doubled.
“With victories in Mosul and failure of terrorists, we hope that security, stability and unity in Iraq will be further strengthened; undoubtedly, such a stability and security will be in favor of relations between the two Iranian and Iraqi nations.”
Noting that promotion of Tehran-Baghdad relations is the wish of both Iranian and Iraqi nations and in line with mutual interests, President Rouhani said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been favoring solid relations with all neighbors, especially Iraq.
President Rouhani underlined setting aside discordant issues and reinforcing pillars of unity among all ethnic groups in Iraq instead.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports stable, integrated and united Iraq; any move undermining unity and integrity of Iraq will not be in favor of anybody, thus unacceptable.”
For sure the liberation of Mosul has special significance from technical and operational aspects, both internally and internationally.
The Mosul operation has been considerable due to using very complicated technical and tactical methods. The city’s geographical and topographical status made the operation difficult. Such conditions made Daesh’s fortifications more inaccessible to Iraqi forces.
Also, the terror group used civilians as human shields which added to the difficulty of the anti-Daesh offensive, Iran Daily wrote.
The support provided to Daesh by certain states added insult to injury.
Despite such difficulties, the Iraqi Army, backed by all walks of life, continued its battle against Daesh and made great achievements.
Meanwhile, the most important and long-term result of Mosul’s liberation is that regional nations are capable of dislodging terrorists without the intervention of foreign states.
Nonetheless, the liberation of the strategic city of Mosul has not ended the Daesh era. The Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Forces will have to make tenacious efforts to purge the nation from terrorists. This is because the terror group will probably increase its suicide attacks after losing control of Mosul.
Irrespective of security obstacles, the Iraqi government is trying to return refugees to their homes which had been occupied by terrorists.
Since Daesh was created as a result of colonial policies pursued by the US and Israel, the terror group will continue to exist as long as it receives the support of Washington and Tel Aviv.
Iraq needs to follow up measures to preserve its national unity in the post Daesh-era. Any failure to maintain such unity might put the country in danger of being torn apart.