Ramadi was liberated by Iraqi troops, with ISIS fighters fleeing as Government forces headed towards the Government District, a place considered synonymous with victory. Heavy casualties were incurred during the fighting, with at least 93 Iraqi soldiers wounded. Fatalities have so far not been confirmed though The Japan Times reports that at least five soldiers are dead.
The Iraqi forces were aided by large numbers of airstrikes, though the US led coalition also hit large numbers of other targets across Iraq, including Mosul, as well as around Raqqa in Syria.
The Liberation of Ramadi is a major boost to the Iraqi forces not just in terms of their fighting capacity, but also their reputation. When Ramadi fell earlier this year, Iraqi forces were accused of simply packing up and driving off, much as seemed to be the case in the Summer of last year when ISIS captured much of Iraq.
