Iraqi Army Celebrates Victory Over Islamic State In Mosul

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has arrived in Mosul to congratulate soldiers for their victory over Islamic State.

The eight-month battle has been hailed a huge victory for forces battling the terrorist organisation. Islamic State declared their caliphate in the Iraqi city three years ago and has been a stronghold since.

According to Reuters, Islamic State militants threw themselves into the Tigris River to escape capture as Iraqi soldiers advanced on their final pockets of territory.

Military experts believe this victory will be damning for ISIS, with the terror group now only controlling small, mainly rural, parts of Iraq.

During the drawn out fight, large parts of the city was destroyed, with thousands of civilians killed and many more displaced. The United Nations believes it could cost $1 billion (£775 million) to rebuild just the basic parts of the city.

"We are glad to see normal life return for the citizens," al-Abadi said, according to a statement from his office. "This is the result of the sacrifices of the (country's) heroic fighters."

Topics: ISIS

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie