Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has proclaimed victory over Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIS in the city of Mosul.
"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," Haider al-Abadi said in a speech shown on state television on June 9, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
A spokesperson told NBC News that there are still small fightings ongoing near the Tigris river but the militants are now expected to be defeated.
"The commander in chief of the armed forces (Prime Minister) Haider al-Abadi arrived in the liberated city of Mosul and congratulated the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people for the great victory," said a statement released from his office.
State network television later showed the prime minister touring the city of Mosul on foot. He also reportedly said that the battle against the terrorist group has been settled already and that victory in on Mosul's hand. He further said that a significant number of ISIS members were killed.
"We came today to Mosul to supervise the battle that left only one or two pockets that [are] still under the control" of ISIS fighters, Abadi said, adding that their only option was to either to die or surrender.
Spokesperson of Abadi told NBC News on Sunday, July 9 that the victory speech and celebration are postponed until some parts of Mosul are already assured to be settled.
"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.
It can be recalled that ISIS seized Mosul city in June 2014 as the terror group spread over other places of Iraq and Syria.
