PHOTO: Iraqi troops hold a captured Islamic State flag in Fallujah
Iraqi security forces claim they have taken full control of the city of Fallujah from the Islamic State.
The commander of the operation, Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi, told State TV:
We announce from this place in central Golan district that it has been cleaned by the counter terrorism service and we convey the good news to the Iraqi people that the battle of Fallujah is over.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed the victory more than a week ago, but fighting continued in the west of Fallujah, 57 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad.
Saidi said a few militants were still holding out in buildings. He claimed that at least 1,800 Islamic State fighters were killed and the rest had fled.
Iraqi forces and mainly-Shia militia, backed by US-led airstrikes and supported by Iranian advisors on the ground, began the offensive to retake Fallujah on May 23..
ISIS took the city in Anbar Province in early 2014, months before its lightning offensive that moved into cities such as Mosul and Tikrit. The Islamic State also occupied Anbar’s capital Ramadi.
Ramadi was retaken by Iraqi forces in December 2015, and the offensive gradually occupied area surrounding Fallujah.
The final claim of victory comes amid rising concern for more than 85,000 residents who have fled to overcrowded camps. Aid organizations report widespread shortages of food, water, and essential supplies, and the UN says it has allegations of abuse of civilians, including by members of Shia militias.
