ISIS Forced to Flee in the Tigris River as Iraqi Forces Reclaim Mosul
Iraq has finally declared victory over the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Mosul, the same city where they suffered one of the most catastrophic defeats three years ago.
Morale was definitely high when the Elite Iraqi forces raised the flag of the country inside the city of Mosul and over by the banks of the Tigris River even while the last remnants of the militant fighters are still shooting from a building inside the city. The Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Badi himself arrived at the city to give his congratulations to their brave soldiers after a long battle which spanned over a period of nine months.
"The commander in chief of the armed forces (Prime Minister) Haider al-Abadi arrived in the liberated city of Mosul and congratulated the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people for the great victory." A statement from the office of the Prime Minister said.
Sadly, the battle to retake Mosul has left most of the city devastated in ruins. Most of the city's buildings are now nothing but a pile of dust and rubble caused by the incessant missile strikes launched by the US-led coalition in order to aid the Iraqi forces in their fight against the ISIS.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, tweeted about the victory in Mosul. France was a part of the coalition formed against ISIS. "Mosul liberated from ISIS: France pays homage to all those, who alongside our troops, contributed to this victory," The French president said in a Twitter post.
During the latter parts of the siege, it was reported that the ISIS forces had thrown themselves into the Tigris River in order to flee the Iraqi forces that were bent on retaking the city. Unfortunately, ISIS still holds some parts of Iraq and it is expected that the terrorist group would further resort to unconventional tactics as a response to their humiliating defeat.