Following a long work of experts in defusing bombs and special forces in searching terrorists, the troops loyal to Baghdad took the old government complex and cleaned it from mines, bombs, car bombs, and other explosive devices left by the extremists when escaping the capital of Al Anbar province.
"Ramadi has been liberated and the armed forces of the counter-terrorism service have raised the Iraqi flag above the government complex," announced on state television Military spokesman Brigadier-General Yahya Rasool
ISIL captured the Ramadi city from Iraqi forces in May, and this victory is considered the first significant victory of the Iraqi Army after its withdrawal 18 months ago, when the Islamists took the control of Mosul, Iraq's second important city and capital of Ninive province.
According to military spokesman, the advance into the city was slow due to the explosives planted by the ISIL, and admitted that they still near to clear some pockets of terrorist resistance in and in the outskirts of Ramadi.
Al-Abadi, in his double condition of head of Government and commander in chief of Iraqi Armed Forces, has announced that the next target after Ramadi will be Mosul city.
sgl/ajs/ro/ucl
PL-31/MNA
Your Comment