TEHRAN — The Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, has congratulated the Iraqi people and government on the anniversary of the liberation of Mosul from Daesh (ISIS).

In a message to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, Masjedi congratulated the victory to Iraqi prime minister, government political and religious leaders, army, Popular Mobilization Forces, security forces, police, Peshmerga and nomads who played a major role in the victory, according to IRNA.

Masjedi pointed to senior Iraqi religious leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani’s historic Fatwa which played a significant part in Iraqis’ fight against Daesh terrorists.

This great victory showed that the Iraqi government and people can overcome all obstacles by unity and empathy, he added.

The diplomat also commemorated Iran’s top anti-terrorist commander, martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, and martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes, who played a significant role in defeating ISIS in Iraq.

Ambassador Masjedi denounced the U.S. government’s terrorist act to assassinate the two anti-terrorist commanders.

Mosul fell in June 2014, when Daesh in an attack took control of the city. Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake Mosul on October 16, 2016.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi officially announced Mosul liberation on July 9, 2017.

Shortly after Daesh unleashed its terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, Ayatollah Sistani issued a fatwa calling on all Iraqi citizens to defend their country.

Iran provided advisory help to the Iraqi security forces in their three years of war against Daesh militants in Iraq who were mainly composed of terrorists from different countries as well as former Baathist officers loyal to Saddam Hussein. 

The Mosul victory marked the formal end of a fierce campaign that lasted nearly nine months and left much of Iraq’s second-largest city in ruins.

Top Iranian military officials, including Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, congratulated Iraqi military and political officials on their victory.

In a message to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in November 2017, General Soleimani declared the promised defeat of Daesh.

Soleimani, who has been at frontline positions in battles against Daesh in Iraq and Syria, thanked Ayatollah Khamenei’s wise leadership, the sacrifices of Iraqi and Syrian people and governments as well as the defenders of the shrine for their courageous fight against the terrorist group.

MH/PA