BAGHDAD (AP) — The leader of Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah group says the liberation of the Iraqi city of Mosul is a “historic opportunity” that should be seized upon to uproot extremist groups in the region.
In a televised speech Tuesday night, Hassan Nasrallah likened the Islamic State group to a “cancerous” growth that may return at any time, saying it must not be allowed to regroup.
Eradicating this “criminal group” by its roots should remain a priority even after the liberation of Mosul, Nasrallah said.
He congratulated the government and people of Iraq and described the liberation as a “great victory and achievement.”
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared “total victory” in Mosul on Monday, after a nearly nine-month-long battle with IS fighters.