PM Abadi pledges defeating Islamic State outside borders, on Mosul’s liberation anniversary

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister has renewed vows to defeat the Islamic State militant group on the first anniversary of liberating Mosul city.

In a statement on Tuesday, Haidar al-Abadi pledged to follow ‘terrorist groups’ outside the borders of Iraq as well as reconstructing the liberated regions.

“We proudly commemorate today the first anniversary of liberating Mosul,”Abadi said. “We will remain loyal to all the sacrifices that lead to the defeat of Islamic State. Through our unity, we will eliminate the remaining elements of these groups and its cells even outside the borders of our country.”

Iraqi warplanes had launched wave of air raids against outposts of the Islamic State group in Syria.

In April, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi denied intentions to intervene within Syrian affairs, saying airstrikes against Islamic State will continue.

Islamic State has resumed its attacks and explosions as well as blocking roads, abducting civilians and security personnel, despite operations carried out across the provinces.

Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014. Many suspects were arrested over links with Islamic State, since the city was recaptured from the group in July 2017.

In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. However, the group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014.