Iraq announces ‘victory’ over ISIS in Mosul

Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, has declared victory over ISIS in Mosul after nearly nine months of bitter fighting to displace the extremist group from the city where it proclaimed its “caliphate”.

Iraq’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, has declared victory over ISIS in Mosul after nearly nine months of bitter fighting to displace the extremist group from the city where it proclaimed its “caliphate”.

Abadi, dressed in black military uniform, travelled to Mosul on Sunday to formally reclaim the devastated city, now a shadow of the thriving hub seized by extremists in 2014.

Thousands have died, nearly a million residents have fled, and swaths of the city have been reduced to ruins during the grueling campaign, including the ancient al-Nuri mosque and minaret that were one of its best known landmarks.