Iraqi forces to proclaim victory over IS in Mosul

Baghdad, July 8 (IANS) The Iraqi security forces have driven out the IS militants from all neighbourhoods except for a small area in the Old City and are set to announce victory over the terror organisation in the northern city of Mosul in the next few hours, an official said on Saturday.

Joint Operations Command spokesperson Yahia Rasoul said the security forces were fighting for the last few meters in Mosul - the main Islamic State (IS) stronghold - in the past three years.

"We are seeing now the last meters and then final victory will be announced. It's a matter of hours," Efe news quoted Rasoul as saying, according to local media outlets.

The offensive on Mosul's Old City began on June 19, while the government troops regained control of the other districts in the city in previous months.

After three months of an offensive, the troops declared the eastern half of Mosul "liberated" last January.

The second phase of the military operation was launched in February on the city's west side - divided in two by the Tigris River, the report said.

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