Iraq holds military parade to celebrate victory over Daesh
Iraq’s Armed Forces held a military parade in Baghdad on Sunday to celebrate the victory announced by Prime Minister Haider alabadi over Daesh.
Abadi on Saturday declared victory in Iraq’s three-year war to expel the terror group that at its height endangered the country’s very existence, AFP reported.
Iraqi forces recaptured the last areas still under Daesh control along the border with Syria and secured the western desert, Abadi said, thus marking the end of the war against the terrorists.
Iraqi Army units marched through the main square in central Baghdad as helicopters and fighter jets flew overhead, witnesses said.
The parade was not broadcast live and only state media were allowed to attend.
Abadi had declared Sunday a public holiday after making his announcement, in which he said Iraq had defeated the terrorists “through our unity and our determination.”
The parade was not broadcast live and only state media was allowed to attend, but several squadrons of Iraqi helicopters flew over Baghdad on Saturday carrying Iraqi flags in a rehearsal for the victory parade.
Fighter jets were seen and heard flying over Baghdad’s skies on Sunday
The terrorists seized control of large parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014, declaring a cross-border “caliphate” and committing widespread atrocities.
Iraqi forces gradually retook control of all territory lost to the terrorists over the last three years.
Experts warn that Daesh remains a threat, with the capacity as a terror group to carry out high-casualty bomb attacks using sleeper cells.