Islamic State Defeated in Ramadi

According to a very recent BBC report, Iraqi forces have taken over a government building in Ramadi, thus pushing out the Islamic State’s control in the city. According to the report,

The military spokesman, Sabah al-Numani, told Reuters: “The complex is under our complete control, there is no presence whatsoever of [IS] fighters in the complex.

“By controlling the complex this means that they have been defeated in Ramadi. The next step is to clear pockets that could exist here or there in the city.”

There had been no clear indications of the number of IS militants who had been defending the city, although some reports put it at around 400. No official toll of Iraqi army casualties has been given.

The Iraqi military believes the remaining militants have headed north-east; with fighting also reported to be under way to the south-west of the compound.

This is a very important development, given that Ramadi is one of the key cities in Iraq, and because anti-Islamic States forces have been trying to take over the city since November.

Thus, with ISIS being defeated in Ramadi, the hope is that they will also continue to lose territory elsewhere. It is imperative that the world come together to speak out against this group, and to challenge their control in the Middle East, as well as continuing to challenger their ideas.