Iraq PM vows to defeat IS in 2016 after army's first major victory

Dec 31, 2015 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi recently declared that the coming year would see the end of the Islamic State. He made the declaration after his military achieved its first major victory over the Islamic sect in 18 months ago.

After recapturing Ramadi, the Iraqi forces flew the national flag above the main government complex in the provincial capital, west of Baghdad.

Speaking on a TV broadcast, al-Abadi said:

“2016 will be the year of the big and final victory, when Daesh’s presence in Iraq will be terminated… We confidently say to our people that we are coming to liberate Mosul and it will be the fatal and final blow to Daesh by the will of this great people”

The army’s recapture of Ramadi marked a major milestone for the U.S-trained forces, who had crumbled in June 2014, when Islamic State fighters charged into Iraq.