Iraq says most of Fallujah retaken from Islamic State militants

BAGHDAD — Iraqi special forces swept into Fallujah on Friday, recapturing most of the city as the Islamic State group’s grip crumbled after weeks of fighting.

In some cases, Islamic State allowed people to leave only if they took the jihadists’ families with them.

Over the past year, Iraqi forces backed by U.S-led air strikes have city-by-city regained large parts of that territory — though the biggest prize, Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, and surrounding territory in the north, remains in Islamic State control.

Friday evening, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi spoke on national TV from the joint command center, congratulating the troops on their victories.

In the early hours, special forces pushed into Fallujah’s central al-Nazzal district, which had served as a base for the militants with weapons warehouses and command centers, al-Obeidi said.

Backed with air support from the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi air force, the troops were able to move into the center at around 6 a.m. They seized the main government complex, which includes municipality offices that Islamic State had torched, the police station and other government buildings.