Iraq's PM arrives in Mosul, says 'the great victory is at hand'

Irbil, Iraq (CNN)Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul Sunday to announce victory over ISIS forces in the city.

"Al-Abadi said the battle is settled and the remaining pockets of ISIS are encircled in the last inches of the city," his media office said in a statement.

"It is a matter of time before we declare to our people the great victory."

The Prime Minister said the Iraqi military is fighting to free civilians whom ISIS is "using as human shields in approximately 50 to 100 houses."

Earlier Sunday, he tweeted that he'd arrived in the "liberated city of Mosul" and "congratulates the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people in achieving this great victory."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi arrived in Mosul, Sunday, July 9.

Video showed al-Abadi walking through streets in Mosul as crowds cheered him.

Mosul is Iraq's biggest metropolis outside of Baghdad, and gaining control of the city was one of ISIS' most significant strategic wins.

 

 

 

Drone footage shows Mosul's devastation 02:27

In 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi stood at the 12th century pulpit of the city's al-Nuri Mosque -- since destroyed by his followers -- and announced the creation of the so-called Islamic caliphate. It was the first and only time the leader of the terrorist group spoke publicly to his followers.

When the terror group seized Mosul in June of that year, it also took control of more than 2.5 million people and subjected some to horrors.

 

 

 

Mosul's Great Mosque of al-Nuri blown up 02:22

It beheaded people in public, threw gay men to their deaths from the top of buildings and made prisoners out of men who did not grow beards and women who did not wear Islamic clothing such as burqas.

In October last year, al-Abadi announced the start of the mission to retake Mosul, using a diverse coalition of about 100,000 troops.

Iraqi military says 'victory is very near' in Mosul

Mosul has been considered one of the main entry points for foreign fighters coming into the country.

As fighters flocked to Mosul, hundreds of thousands of residents fled, prompting a refugee crisis.

The city is also near some of Iraq's most vital oil fields, as well an oil pipeline that services Turkey. Securing these fields could bolster Iraq's economy and hit ISIS' finances hard, as the militant group sells oil illegally to fund its operations.

News Courtesy: www.cnn.com