Mosul is Freed from Islamic State

The Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory this Sunday afternoon in the freed city of Mosul. This happens after devastating 9 month fights against the jihadist organization Islamic State.

"Abadi arrives in the freed city of Mosul to congratulate the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people for the great victory against terror" says official statement from his office cited by AFP.

Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq after Baghdad. It is on the Tiger River, about 400 km northwest of the capital. The city is located at the point where the most important transport arteries intersect. The Mosul is connected with Baghdad and also with Turkey and Syria. In the vicinity of Mosul are the big oil fields Kayira, Butma and Hall.

According to the BBC, nearly 900,000 people have been displaced from the city since 2014, which is about half of its pre-war population.