After months of battles against the so-called Islamic State (Daesh) in Iraq, the country's government finally declared the end of the group's caliphate in Mosul on Thursday, Reuters reported.
This comes after Iraqi troops fully recaptured the city's iconic 850-year-old Grand al-Nuri Mosque, which was >destroyed in the process.
According to Reuters, the medieval mosque is the place where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" spanning across parts of Syria and Iraq.
In his statement on the news, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said: "The return of al-Nuri Mosque and al-Hadba minaret to the fold of the nation marks the end of the Daesh state of falsehood."
The long battle for Mosul is expected to end in the coming few days "as remaining Islamic State fighters are bottled up in just a handful of neighborhoods of the Old City."
While this in effect, marks the end of the IS caliphate in Mosul, "the group still controls territory west and south of the city, ruling over hundreds of thousands of people."
Celebrations on social media
As soon as the latest news began circulating on social media, thousands took to Twitter, expressing their relief and joy.
In the few hours following the news, the hashtag: #وسقطت_دوله_الخرافه (The fictitious state has fallen) trended worldwide.
Many congratulated the Iraqi Army
Others reminded everyone of those who had lost their lives in the fight for freedom
"When we celebrate this victory, we've got to remember those who sacrificed their lives to make it possible."