: Updated: PM Abadi says army freed last IS bastion in Anbar in record time

BAGHDAD – In a statement on Friday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced that the armed forces and the Iraqi people succeeded in recapturing the city of Rawa, the last Islamic State’s stronghold in Western Anbar, in record time. “Our champions freed Rawa in record time and are resuming the combing of the Jazeera region as well as the desert and securing the Iraqi borders”, as Abadi said. In a few hours the city of Rawa has been liberated, showing the power and capability of Iraqi army as well as the successful and efficacious battles’ plans. After the recapture of many districts in the town, the liberation of Rawa marked the end of the military presence of IS in Western Anbar. Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, commander of Jazeera and Upper Euphrates Combing Operations, declared that the recapture of Rawa was announced by raising the Iraqi flag above buildings there. Naeem al-Kaoud, chief of Anbar Province Council’s Security Committee, said that “operations to retake Rawa will possibly not take more than 24 hours, noting that most of IS militants had fled to Syria”. According to United Nations counts, the war against IS has displaced five million people, while hundreds of civilians and security troops were killed.