Iraqi troops reclaim Ramadi after seizing ISIS-held government complex

Iraq's army declared victoryover ISIS fighters on Sundayafter taking control of a government complex in central Ramadi the last stronghold in the city held by the jihadistgroup, according to a military spokesperson.

It is being hailed as the first major triumph for the U.S.-trainedforce since it collapsed in the face of an assault by themilitants 18 months ago.

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"By controlling the complex this means that they have been defeated in Ramadi," said Sabah al-Numani, a spokesman for the force leading the fight on the government side.

"The next step is to clear pockets that could exist here or there in the city."

Iraqi troops raise flag in Ramadi

9 years ago

Duration 2:53

The Iraqi military claim a major victory in the fight against ISIS, Derek Stoffel reports from Jerusalem

"The complex is under our complete control, there is no presence whatsoever of Daesh fighters in the complex," he told Reuters, using a derogatory Arabic acronym of Islamic State.

Recapturing Ramadi, which fell to the militants in May, would be one of the most significant victories for Iraq's armed forces since Islamic State swept across a third of the country in 2014.

Earlier Sunday, Gen.Ismailal-Mahlawi had said troops may "need days" to regain control over the complex in Anbar province. He said the advance was beinghampered by Islamic Statesuicide bombers, snipers and booby traps.

On Saturday,joint operations command spokesman Brig.YahyaRasoolsaid coalitionairstrikeshave helped to detonate car bombs and booby-trapped houses.

The Iraqi government has said thatRamadi, if captured, would be handed over to the local police and to a Sunni tribal force.

Ramadiwas ISIS's biggest prize of 2015, abandoned by government forces in May in a major setback for Baghdad and for the Iraqi troops that have been trained mostly by the U.S. since the overthrow ofSaddamHusseinin 2003.

AfterRamadi, the army plans to move to retake the northern city ofMosul, the biggest population centre under ISIS control in Iraq and Syria.

The extremists stillcontrol large swaths of land in western andnorthern Iraq and in neighbouring Syria. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)has declared a self-styled caliphate on the territory under its control.

After overrunning Ramadi, ISIS destroyed all the bridges around thecity. It also demolished the Anbar operations command centre andfanned out into the city's residential areas to set up lessconspicuous centres of command.