U.S. applauds Iraq's announcement of full liberation of territory from IS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Saturday hailed the Iraqi government's earlier announcement of the full liberation of the country's territory from the control of Islamic State (IS).

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday officially declared full liberation of Iraq from the IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

Nauert said in a statement that the United States applaud the "courageous three year campaign of intense fighting" led by Haider al-Abadi and offer sincere congratulations to the Iraqi people and government forces.

The announcement "signals the last remnants of ISIS's self-proclaimed 'caliphate' in Iraq have been erased and the people living in those areas have been freed" from the IS's control.

She stressed that Iraq's liberation does not mean the fight against terrorism in Iraq is over, and the United States will continue to advise, train, and equip the Iraqi government troops, so as to prevent the return of IS or the emergence of other terrorist groups.

In a televised speech Haider al-Abadi said the government forces have reached the last redoubts of IS and have raised the Iraqi flag over areas of western Anbar (province) which was the last occupied land by IS.

"The Iraqi flag is rising today over the farthest border point," Abadi said. Enditem