Abadi: ISIL defeated ‘from military perspective’

Iraq’s prime minister announced the defeat of ISIL “from a military perspective” but that he would declare final victory only once security forces had eliminated the extremists from the desert.

Rawa, the last remaining town under ISIL control, was captured by Iraqi forces on Friday, signalling the collapse of the group in Iraq after it overran much of the country in 2014.

“From a military perspective, we have ended the presence of Daesh in Iraq,” Mr Al Abadi said. “God willing we will announce very soon, after the end of the purification operations, victory over Daesh in Iraq.”

Mr Al Abadi said the final battle against ISIL would take place in the desert of western Anbar.

Referring to Baghdad’s continuing dispute with Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Mr Al Abadi said political disagreements in the country “will pave the way for ISIL fighters to carry out attacks”.

“I call on our Kurdish brothers to avoid fighting,” he said.

The dispute arose after Iraq’s Kurds voted to secede in an independence referendum on September 25, defying Baghdad and neighbouring Turkey and Iran, who have their own Kurdish minorities.

Outraged by the results, Baghdad deemed the vote illegal and demanded the Kurds annul the results before any negotiations take place between the two sides.

On Monday, Iraq’s supreme federal court ruled that the referendum was unconstitutional and the results void, bolstering Baghdad’s hand in a stand-off with the Kurdish region.

“I hail the federal court’s decision to void the Kurdish region’s referendum,” Mr Al Abadi said on Tuesday.