Iraqi forces claim liberation of Ramadi
Iraqi government forces say they have pushed Islamic State militants out of the city and raised the national flag over a government complex.
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The Sunni Islamist terror group captured Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, in May this year.
Winning the city back is the first major victory for the US-trained Iraqi army after it collapsed in the face of an IS advance 18 months ago.
Joint operations spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said in a statement broadcast on state television: “Yes, the city of Ramadi has been liberated. The Iraqi counter-terrorism forces have raised the Iraqi flag over the government complex in Anbar.”
Officials said there may still be some pockets of resistance outside the centre of Ramadi.
Progress in dislodging IS from the city has been slow, partly because the army did most of the fighting, rather than relying on Shia militia groups, who have been battling IS elsewhere.
In Ramadi the decision was made to limit the role of Shia fighters to avoid antagonising the mainly Sunni population.
The Iraqi government says its next target will be the northern city of Mosul, by far the biggest city in Iraq or Syria controlled by IS, who fund their operations in part by taxing residents who live under their rule.