Iraq has declared complete victory over the so-called Islamic State (or Daesh) after years of battling the terrorist organization.
"Our heroic armed forces have now secured the entire length of the Iraq-Syria border," Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said via Twitter this weekend. "We defeated Daesh (ISIS) through our unity and sacrifice for the nation. Long live Iraq and its people."
The Iraqi military also hailed the insurgents defeat, saying the country is now "fully liberated," according to CNN.
Daesh took control of large sections of Iraq back in 2014, declaring a new caliphate. The group's atrocities and mass killings in Iraq and Syria captured global attention, as the terrorist targeted minority groups and anyone who opposed their extremist views.
But now, according to Al-Abadi, the terrorist group's dreams have "come to an end."
"We must remove all its effects and should not allow terrorism to return again," he went on to warn.
Of course, to say Iraqis are excited by the news would be a bit of an understatement
The Iraqi military organized a large parade to celebrate
Iraq's PM saluted the nation's troops during the festivities
Throughout the country, Iraqis took to the streets to celebrate
Iraq finally won the battle
It's time to remember all of Iraq's heroes who fought the insurgents
Because Iraq is officially free
These maps reveal just how drastic the victory is
Iraq's military seriously kicked some terrorist ass
And Iraqis are beyond grateful to all the nation's martyrs
Meanwhile, Daesh continues to occupy small portions of Syria. However, last month Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a staunch ally of the Syrian government, said military efforts in the country are nearing an end as well.
Both leaders declared their intent to find a political solution to resolve the ongoing conflict in the country.
"We don’t want to look back. We welcome all who are really interested in a political solution. We are ready to conduct dialogue with them," Assad said, according to the Financial Times.