In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful (And Allah made it not except as [a sign of] good tidings for you and to reassure your hearts thereby. And victory is not except from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise) – Al Imran, 126, the Holy Quran.

On Monday evening, 10th July 2017, from the heart of the second largest city after Baghdad in our beloved Iraq; the city of Mosul that Daesh Conquer in Mid-2014, the Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Haider Al-Abadi, declared victory over Deash after the start of the operation (Nineveh we’re coming) nine months ago with the heroic actions, in one steady plan of the different types of the Army, Counter-Terrorism Services, the Federal Police, the Popular Mobilization Units, the Peshmerga and the Tribesmen against these criminal gangs whose members hold more than one hundred nationalities from different countries across the world.

The military operations focused on the liberation of man before the land, so the concern for the safety and protection of civilians was the first concern of our courageous military divisions despite spiteful Daesh methods, including the use of civilians as human shields by the members of this criminal organization. Moreover, the attempt of those criminals to hide inside the old city in Mosul, did not succeed in dissuading the heroic will of our heroic forces, which fought those criminals courageously, a clean street war that history will remember in its most beautiful pages.

Our people in Mosul have suffered from various forms of torture, abuse and brutal killing by this terrorist organization in a series of unprecedented horrific crimes in history, so their day of salvation represents a celebration for all the Iraqi people and a source of admiration for the people of the world.

The great and pivotal role of the Supreme Religious Leadership has emerged through the Fatwa of Jihad from the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, may Allah preserve him, which gave a human and moral impetus that had a great impact on mobilizing the youth and urging them to fight this criminal organization.

The great sacrifices of the precious blood made by Iraqis while they fought on behalf of all humanity the most dangerous terrorist organization that threatened international security is a proof of the moral balance of the Iraqi people and the depth of the civilization of this great nation and its rejection of every savage backward ideology that targets its existence and stability. The victory in the battle of Mosul is also the most important victory that breaks the thorn of these extremist gangs that targeted innocents and civilians in a large number of countries in the world.
The unity of the speech of the different Iraqi political parties in the face of terrorism and the unity of its ranks represented a tremendous momentum and an important pillar for our heroic soldiers.

Our sons fought with distinct humanity, they fought to save our people, to establish security and peace and to spread justice throughout Iraq, aiming at eradicating the scourge of terrorism. They fought to prove to the whole world that the Iraqis are united on their land, with all their ethnicities and sects.

In this battle, the city of Mosul kept its Iraqi identity, and remained as the city of all, and everyone fought for it. It was not for our people from different cities but to respond to the call of responsibility to restore this precious city and to rid it of Daesh terrible prison, which something that deserves to bow for with all respect to the martyrs who released their souls to the sky, devoting their lives to achieve this victory.

The actions of our Iraqi women were not isolated from the actions of our heroic men. The women in Iraq supported the battle as much as possible and did not spare their sons, husbands and brothers to defend this land.

We cannot fail to mention the contribution of our allies and friendly countries and the clear assistance they have provided to support the efforts of the Iraqi government in this eternal battle, which reflected the depth of their relation with Iraq and their determination to stand seriously against terrorism and its dangers surrounding us all.

Today, with the achievement of this great victory, we look forward to further cooperation and solidarity with us to complete the elimination of this terrorist organization, and to eradicate its ideology and sources of support and funding, and its media platforms that promote its speech, and to prevent its spread in other countries and cut the way for its return to the areas where it was eradicated. And to start the process of reconstruction and building of the liberated areas, especially the city of Mosul, where we emphasize the need for the clear international contribution from all our allies and friends, as the victory is only completed with the return of all the displaced to their regions to ensure a stable and safe life for them.

All praise and thanks Allah Almighty. And all the appreciation and pride of our heroic Iraqi people. To live Iraq strong and secure with a thriving economy and stable political system. And to revive our hero fighters in the conscience of our people. Glory and eternity to all martyrs. Righteous people who have generously sacrificed their lives. And victory for the people of Iraq.

Dr Ibrahim Al-Eshaiker Al-Jaafari, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq.