Iraqi Army Mops up Final ISIS Pockets

The Iraqi army has been mopping up the last pockets of resistance from Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Mosul, after a long battle to recapture the city. Iraqi media reported that an official declaration of victory from the government is expected soon. Iraqi forces, backed by US-led air strikes, have tried to retake the city since 17 October last year. ISIS seized Mosul in June 2014 before sweeping across much of Iraq’s Sunni Arab heartland and proclaiming a “caliphate” straddling Iraq and Syria. According to BBC, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, supported by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, have been involved in the battle.