The senior US commander Lt Gen Stephen Townsend told BBC that he had warned Iraq that the war against the so-called Islamic State was not over, despite a “historic” victory in Mosul.
He said, “There are still IS fighters in Iraq. If we’re to keep… ISIS 2.0 from emerging, the Iraqi government is going to have to do something significantly different. They’re going to have to reach out and reconcile with the Sunni population, and make them feel like their government in Baghdad represents them.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider AL-Abadi formally declared victory in Mosul.
He said, “I announce from here the end and the failure and the collapse of the terrorist state of falsehood and terrorism, which the terrorist Daesh announced from Mosul.”
Iraq fought in Mosul nearly nine-months battle that left large areas in ruins, killed thousands of civilians and displayed more than 920,000 others.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi waved a national flag with troops and he formally declared victory over IS in Mosul, after a nearly nine-month battle.
According to a report on Tuesday, Amnesty International said Iraqi and coalition forces had used unnecessarily powerful weapons in densely-populated areas and they were accused of committing serious abuses.
US President Donald Trump sent his congratulations to his Iraqi counterpart.
He said Mosul had been liberated from its long nightmare under the rule of terrorism. “We mourn the thousands of Iraqis brutally killed by terrorists and the millions of Iraqis who suffered.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande also added, “It’s a relief to know that the military campaign in Mosul is ending. The fighting may be over, but the humanitarian crisis is not. Many of the people who have fled have lost everything. They need shelter, food, health care, water, sanitation and emergency kits. The levels of trauma we are seeing are some of the highest anywhere. What people have experienced is nearly unimaginable.”
The UN said, “Nearly 5,000 buildings have been damaged and 490 destroyed in the Old City alone.”
Reporter: Syeda Faiza Bukhari
