Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani hailed the “brave and brilliant” victory of Iraqi forces against the Islamic State in liberating the strategic western city of Fallujah from the grip of the terrorist group. In a congratulatory message to Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri on Saturday, Larijani said the victory achieved by security forces and fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units is the product of unity of purpose and national solidarity against the medieval extremist groups and their backers, Press TV reported. He expressed the hope that national unity among Iraqi people and political groups and factions would lead to the ultimate defeat of the terrorists who have unleashed a wave of death and destruction in the Arab country.Larijani hoped that security and welfare would be established in a “united and consolidated” Iraq. Iraqi forces launched a massive offensive to retake Fallujah on May 23.
On Friday, Iraqi forces managed to raise their national flag on the main government complex in Fallujah as they faced little resistance from IS terrorists, who had lost their defenses in the course of the weeks-long operation. Later in the day, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the nation on the liberation of Fallujah. Fallujah, 50 km west of Baghdad, was the first Iraqi city to fall to IS in their rapid advances in early 2014.
