Saudi hails ‘liberation’ of Mosul from IS

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia on Friday hailed the Iraq government’s recapture of Mosul city from Islamic State group jihadists, stressing its solidarity with Baghdad in combating “terrorism” despite their rocky relations, reports AFP.

The kingdom “congratulates the Iraqi government and people for recapturing Mosul city and liberating it from the Daesh terrorist organisation,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

The statement carried by SPA state news agency stressed that Riyadh “stands by Iraq and its efforts to combat extremism and terrorism in all its form, as well as its financing”.

Iraq declared victory in Mosul this week after a nearly nine-month battle that ravaged the city and took a heavy toll on residents and security forces.

Riyadh and Baghdad have made efforts to improve their bumpy relations, with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite, visiting the predominantly Sunni kingdom last month.

Saudi hails liberation of Mosul from IS

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia on Friday hailed the Iraq governments recapture of Mosul city from Islamic State group jihadists, stressing its solidarity with Baghdad in combating terrorism despite their rocky relations, reports AFP. The kingdom congratulates the Iraqi government and people for recapturing Mosul city and liberating it from the Daesh terrorist organisation, the foreign ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS. The statement carried by SPA state news agency stressed that Riyadh stands by Iraq and its efforts to combat extremism and terrorism in all its form, as well as its financing. Iraq declared victory in Mosul this week after a nearly nine-month battle that ravaged the city and took a heavy toll on residents and security forces. Riyadh and Baghdad have made efforts to improve their bumpy relations, with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite, visiting the predominantly Sunni kingdom last month.