The Islamic State (IS) group has lost over half of its land in Iraq as the government forces claimed on Monday the retaking of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s western province of Anbar.
The territory controlled by the terrorist group has reduced to 20 percent of the whole country, down from 40 percent in 2014, according to local media reports.
The IS has controlled large areas in middle and northern part of Iraq since June, 2014 and had seized Diyala Governorate in the east, merely about 100 kilometers to the northeast of Baghdad, the country’s capital city.
The security force retook Diyala Governorate in this January and started the fierce counteroffensive against the terrorist group.
The government, backed by the U.S.-led coalition and the allied Shiite and Sunni militias, captured Tikrit City in Salahudin Province this March — the first major victory over the IS.
The government managed to drive the extremist militants away from Baiji, the city situated in the northern province of Salahuddin and is known for its oil treasure, in this June with the help of Popular Mobilization units.
Together with the forces from Iraqi Kurdish Region in the north, the government forces in this August took control of Mosul Dam from the IS, center of an intense battle in northern Iraq between the extremists and Kurdish forces.
In this November, the Kurdish fighters recapture the center of the strategic Iraqi town of Sinjar after a fierce offensive against the IS group.
The prolonged fights between the warring sides have destroyed the country’s economy and displaced millions of civilians from their hometowns.
Large areas of Nineveh Governorate in north Iraq and Al Anbar Governorate, geographically the largest governorates in the country are still under the control of the IS group.