The Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul on Sunday to declare victory over the forces of ISIL in the city. "Al-Abadi said the battle is over, and the remaining ISIL militants surrounded the last inch of the city," - said in a statement by his media office.

"It's a matter of time before we'll announce our people of the great victory". The Prime Minister said that the Iraqi military are fighting for the liberation of civilians that ISIS "uses as human shields around 50-100 homes." Earlier on Sunday, he tweeted that he arrived in "liberated the city of Mosul" and "congratulates the heroic soldiers and the Iraqi people to achieve this great victory."

Mosul is the largest city in Iraq outside of Baghdad and gaining control over the city is one of the most significant strategic victories of ISIS.

In 2014 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made a speech in the city of the mosque of al-Nuri and announced the creation of the so-called Islamic Caliphate. It was the first and only time the leader of the terrorist group publicly addressed his followers. Mosul has been recognized as one of the main entry points for foreign fighters entering the country. When the fighters entered Mosul, hundreds of thousands of residents fled, which caused the refugee crisis.
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