BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces announced on Monday that they had liberated the western city of Ramadi from the Islamic State after a fierce weeklong battle to retake it, following a brutal seven-month occupation by the extremist group.
"The security forces have entered the governmental buildings and raised the Iraqi flags over them after killing many IS militants, and the rest have escaped," Brigadier general Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for the Iraqi military , announced. Fighters from the Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS or ISIL, fled the city's government headquarters, the last major redoubt in Ramadi, around midday on Monday .They had been encircled by Iraqi counterterrorism forces and police officers, backed by Sunni tribesmen who oppose the militant group and by American airstrikes.
Officials cautioned that pockets of resistance remai ned, and that sporadic fighting continued elsewhere in the ci y. A US military commander had confirmed earlier that the raqi forces were poised to re ake the government complex before the close of the day on Monday . Major general Ismai al-Mahlawi, the commander o he operation, said in a phone nterview that security forces had to first make sure that i was safe to enter the compo und because it was "surroun ded with improvised explosive devices and car bombs." Bassem Eid Ammash, a okesman for the Anbar pro spokesman for the Anbar pro vincial council, said in a phone interview that the authorities were trying to minimize losses. "We do not want for the security forces to advance because if they do so there will be losses," he said, "so we are trying to remove all the IEDs and explosives before entering the go vernmental compound."
"The security forces have entered the governmental buildings and raised the Iraqi flags over them after killing many IS militants, and the rest have escaped," Brigadier general Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for the Iraqi military , announced. Fighters from the Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS or ISIL, fled the city's government headquarters, the last major redoubt in Ramadi, around midday on Monday .They had been encircled by Iraqi counterterrorism forces and police officers, backed by Sunni tribesmen who oppose the militant group and by American airstrikes.
Officials cautioned that pockets of resistance remai ned, and that sporadic fighting continued elsewhere in the ci y. A US military commander had confirmed earlier that the raqi forces were poised to re ake the government complex before the close of the day on Monday . Major general Ismai al-Mahlawi, the commander o he operation, said in a phone nterview that security forces had to first make sure that i was safe to enter the compo und because it was "surroun ded with improvised explosive devices and car bombs." Bassem Eid Ammash, a okesman for the Anbar pro spokesman for the Anbar pro vincial council, said in a phone interview that the authorities were trying to minimize losses. "We do not want for the security forces to advance because if they do so there will be losses," he said, "so we are trying to remove all the IEDs and explosives before entering the go vernmental compound."
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