Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi arrived in Mosul to congratulate Iraqi forces for their victory against Isis. Iraqi security forces raised the national flag in the ruins of Mosuls Old City on July 9. The victory comes with a heavy toll on the Iraqi army with forces suffering 40% losses in the battle. Large parts of Mosul lie in ruins after eight months of fighting. Thousands of civilians were killed in clashes between Iraqi armed forces and Isis militants and more than one million of the citys inhabitants were displaced. Isis first seized Mosul in June 2014 and declared the beginning of an Islamic caliphate in its Old City.
