Iraq declares victory in war on Islamic State

Iraqi and U.S. officials say key challenges remain

BAGHDAD — After more than three years of combat operations, Iraq announced Saturday that the fight against the Islamic State group is over after the country’s forces drove the extremists from all of the territory they once held.

Iraqi and American officials warned, however, that key challenges remain despite the military victory. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the victory Saturday in an address to the nation aired on Iraqi state television.

“Honorable Iraqis, your land has been completely liberated,” he said. “The liberation dream has become a reality. We achieved victory in difficult circumstances and with God’s help, the steadfastness of our people and the bravery of our heroic forces, we prevailed.”

“The flag of Iraq is flying high today over all Iraqi territory and at the farthest point on the border,” he added, standing before senior members of Iraq’s security forces.

After al-Abadi’s remarks, his office declared a public holiday Sunday in celebration of the victory.

Iraqi forces mopped up the last pockets of Islamic State fighters from Iraq’s western deserts Saturday, securing the border with Syria — a step that marked the end of combat operations against the extremists.

“All Iraqi lands are liberated from terrorist Daesh gangs and our forces completely control the international Iraqi-Syrian border,” said Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rasheed Yar Allah, a senior Iraqi military commander.

Daesh is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS.

The U.S. applauded the prime minister’s announcement. The U.S. offers “sincere congratulations to the Iraqi people and to the brave Iraqi Security Forces, many of whom lost their lives heroically fighting ISIS,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a written statement.

“Our coalition will continue to stand with Iraq to support its security forces, economy, and stabilization to help ensure that ISIS can never again threaten Iraq’s people or use its territory as a haven,” said Brett McGurk, U.S. special presidential envoy to the antiISIS coalition, in a statement.

Iraq’s government faces significant security threats, an economic crisis and the enormous task of rebuilding swaths of territory decimated by the ISIS fight.

ISIS fighters overran nearly a third of Iraqi territory in the summer of 2014. The following year, they also overran Anbar’s provincial capital of Ramadi.

Over the past 31⁄2 years, Iraqi ground forces closely backed by the U.S.-led coalition and mostly Shiite paramilitary forces backed by Iran have slowly retaken all of that territory.

KARIM KADIM/AP Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announces Iraq’s victory Saturday in an address to the nation aired on state television. Later his office declared a public holiday for Sunday.