The capture, or rather recapture, of Ramadi city by the Iraqi forces from the dreaded Islamic State is the first major victory of Iraqi forces after they suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of militants eighteen months ago, and this is also the first biggest defeat of the IS militants in the country. Ramadi is the capital of the Sunni-dominated Anbar province in the Euphrates River valley west of Baghdad. The militants seized the city in May after government troops fled and since then the IS had expanded their gains, capturing more territories and unleashing a campaign of terror with brutal executions of captives and innocent people, which were filmed and splashed all over the world through television channels.
The loss of Ramadi deprives the militants of their biggest prize of 2015 and 2016 must be a year of the decline of this terrorist outfit if the international community succeeds in its mission of uprooting it. IS swept through a third of Iraq in June 2014 and declared a caliphate for Muslims from its territory in both Iraq and Syria, carrying out mass executions and giving a tough time to Iraqi forces and the Syrian army.
The victory over IS is no small feat and was achieved after hard work. After encircling the city for weeks, the Iraqi army launched a campaign to recapture it a few days ago and made a final push to seize the central administration complex yesterday. A military spokesperson said their next objective is to clear pockets of the enemy that “could exist here or there in the city.”
The battle against the IS in Iraq and Syria has now drawn in global powers, though with conflicting interests. A US-led coalition is waging an air campaign against Islamic State and Russian forces are in Syria under the pretext of fighting IS. The militants will face more heat next year as the anti-IS coalition takes a more solid shape through unity among disparate forces. The militants will have to struggle to hold onto their financial resources and manpower as bombs rain on them.
The Iraqi government and army must work hard to build on their gains and repel any attempts by militants to stage a comeback. The government must restore all services to Ramadi quickly, start rebuilding the city and finally, ask people who have fled to return. Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi has said Ramadi would be handed over to local police and a Sunni tribal force once it was secured, in a move that is meant to win over Sunnis to the fight Islamic State.
The capture, or rather recapture, of Ramadi city by the Iraqi forces from the dreaded Islamic State is the first major victory of Iraqi forces after they suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of militants eighteen months ago, and this is also the first biggest defeat of the IS militants in the country. Ramadi is the capital of the Sunni-dominated Anbar province in the Euphrates River valley west of Baghdad. The militants seized the city in May after government troops fled and since then the IS had expanded their gains, capturing more territories and unleashing a campaign of terror with brutal executions of captives and innocent people, which were filmed and splashed all over the world through television channels.
The loss of Ramadi deprives the militants of their biggest prize of 2015 and 2016 must be a year of the decline of this terrorist outfit if the international community succeeds in its mission of uprooting it. IS swept through a third of Iraq in June 2014 and declared a caliphate for Muslims from its territory in both Iraq and Syria, carrying out mass executions and giving a tough time to Iraqi forces and the Syrian army.
The victory over IS is no small feat and was achieved after hard work. After encircling the city for weeks, the Iraqi army launched a campaign to recapture it a few days ago and made a final push to seize the central administration complex yesterday. A military spokesperson said their next objective is to clear pockets of the enemy that “could exist here or there in the city.”
The battle against the IS in Iraq and Syria has now drawn in global powers, though with conflicting interests. A US-led coalition is waging an air campaign against Islamic State and Russian forces are in Syria under the pretext of fighting IS. The militants will face more heat next year as the anti-IS coalition takes a more solid shape through unity among disparate forces. The militants will have to struggle to hold onto their financial resources and manpower as bombs rain on them.
The Iraqi government and army must work hard to build on their gains and repel any attempts by militants to stage a comeback. The government must restore all services to Ramadi quickly, start rebuilding the city and finally, ask people who have fled to return. Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi has said Ramadi would be handed over to local police and a Sunni tribal force once it was secured, in a move that is meant to win over Sunnis to the fight Islamic State.
