MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Sunday, Abdul-Wahad Saadi, the Iraqi army commander heading the counter-terrorism operation in the city, said that Iraq's armed forces had "fully liberated" Fallujah.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi later raised the country' national flag near the city hospital, urging Iraqi people to celebrate the victory and pledging to liberate Mosul, which is still overrun by militants.
"In 2014, when Daesh was taking over Iraqi territories, around 40 percent of the country's territory was in their hands. Later, this territory decreased. After the liberation of Fallujah, it is no more than 10 percent," Muhsin said.
Fallujah, located some 42 miles west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, is one of the largest cities in the Anbar province. Daesh has been in control of the city since 2014.
The Iraqi Army and Shiite militias, backed by US airstrikes, launched the offensive to retake Fallujah on May 22.
