Iraqi security forces enter heavy damaged downtown Ramadi, Dec. 27.
Rwa Faisal / AP
An Iraqi general said that the key city of Ramadi had been "fully liberated" from ISIS militants on Monday, the Associated Press reported.
The claim, by Gen. Yahya Rasool, follows a protracted siege of the capital of Anbar province, which has been complicated by snipers and booby traps left by the militant group, and the fact they had destroyed all bridges leading to the city.
Rasool described the victory as "epic," and said that the Iraqi flag had been raised over a key government complex, according to the BBC.
However, another Iraqi general — Ismail al-Mahlawi, the head of operations in Anbar — said that that ISIS still controlled other areas of the city away from the complex, AP said.
The long-awaited battle to retake Ramadi has raged on for weeks. The city fell to ISIS in May in an embarrassing defeat for the Iraqi military.
The apparent victory in the largely Sunni Arab area marks a symbolic win for the Iraqi army, and would be the first time they beat ISIS without help from Shiite militia.
ISIS still controls the rest of Anbar province, however.
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