The Iraq military won a major victory on Sunday by taking control of an ISIS base in the city of Ramadi. The victory figures into a sustained effort to retake the city which fell to the Islamic State last may, according to the Star Tribune.
"By controlling the complex this means that they have been defeated in Ramadi," said Sabah al-Numani, an Iraqi military spokesman, in an interview with Reuters, "The next step is to clear pockets that could exist here or there in the city. The complex is under our complete control, there is no presence whatsoever of Daesh fighters in the complex."
Located in central Iraq, Ramadi is the capital of the Anbar province. The victory is both militarily and symbolically significant. Located only 55 miles west of Baghdad, it was considered an embarrassment when the city fell to ISIS forces last May.
While somewhat inaccurate, most reports indicate that a company of 400 ISIS militants had been defending the city. The Iraqi military believes that the surviving IS fighters have taken the conflict north-east of the city, according to the BBC.
The fight had been particularly brutal due to the Islamic State's use of snipers, suicide bombs, and booby traps according to Gen Ismail al-Mahlawi, who spoke to the Associated Press.
Respite from the siege, which began in early November, may have finally arrived for hundreds of families who have been trapped in the middle of the conflict. While the extent of the victory remains unclear, Agence France-Presse reported celebrations in the streets.
The effort to retake Ramadi has highlighted lingering sectarian issues between Shi and Sunni Iraqis. The Iraqi military chose not to use its predominantly Shia paramilitary force that drove the IS out of Tikrit, a northern city, to avoid further conflict with the Ramadi citizens, who are predominantly Sunni.
