Carter hails Iraqi success in Fallujah
 
  By Cheryl Pellerin, DoD News
  **WASHINGTON,(June 27, 2016)  —**
Defense Secretary Ash Carter today congratulated Prime Minister 
Haider al-Abadi and the Iraqi people for freeing the city of Fallujah 
from the grip of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The operation in Fallujah was a significant challenge for the 
Iraqi security forces and for the multinational coalition, and it won’t 
be the last, the secretary said in a statement. “The United States military and our coalition partners are 
proud to have supported the Iraqi security forces under the prime 
minister's command in this important operation,” Carter said, calling 
the operation “another milestone in our joint efforts to accelerate 
ISIL's defeat and to continue supporting our Iraqi partners moving 
forward.” Hard fighting is ahead, the secretary added, as is the vital 
task of caring for the residents of Fallujah displaced by ISIL's 
violence and beginning to rebuild the city so they can safely return. **Fallujah Victory** Carter said it’s also essential to complete the investigations 
launched by the Iraqi government to address alleged abuses of civilians. "Despite the hard work still to do," he added, "the clearing of 
Fallujah will make the people of Iraq safer and bring us all one step 
closer to dealing ISIL a lasting defeat." Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters here 
today that the coalition continues to provide support through strikes, 
intelligence, advice and assistance to Iraqi government fighters 
operating in Fallujah and will continue to do so as the Iraqi forces 
switch from taking the city to beginning clearing operations. “The fighting to get into Fallujah was fierce,” Davis told 
Pentagon reporters, “particularly as they broke through some of the 
defensive belts on the southern side and the Iraqi security forces have 
worked their way through the city and ... rapidly took control of it.” **Thwarting ISIL’s Goals** Since the ground operation began May 21, coalition forces have 
conducted more than 100 airstrikes in support of local ground forces 
under the command of the government of Iraq, Davis said. “Those strikes 
destroyed key ISIL targets, including tactical units, fighting 
positions, heavy and light machine guns [and] rocket-propelled grenade 
systems, and they also denied access to key terrain for ISIL,” he added. After Iraqi security forces victories in Rutba, Hit and Ramadi 
this year, Fallujah was the last major stronghold for ISIL in Anbar 
province, Davis said. “With its large population centers, infrastructure
 and key road networks, the loss of Fallujah will further deny ISIL 
access to a province that's critically important to its overall goals,” 
he told reporters. “It also significantly helps the security situation 
in Baghdad, as Fallujah was the closest ISIL-held territory to Baghdad.” Further north, in the Euphrates River Valley between Hit and 
Haditha, Davis said, Iraqi forces continue clearing villages along the 
north side of the river and have opened critical roads that connect the 
region to Baghdad. As Iraqi forces clear those areas, he added, local 
forces are serving as hold forces to secure and safeguard the area. **Fighting to Liberate Manbij** ISIL has had no strategic victories for more than a year and 
has lost significant territory over and over again, Davis noted, listing
 Fallujah, Ramadi, Rutba, Hit, Synjar and Beiji in Iraq, and Hawl, 
Shadaddi and the Tishrin Dam in Syria. Though possession of the Syrian city of Manbij is still a hotly contested battle, Davis said, ISIL will soon lose that city as well. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led coalition is “supporting the Iraqi 
security forces as they move north from Beiji toward Kayara,” which is 
on the road to Mosul up the Tigris River, Davis said, specifically on 
the west side of the Euphrates to Kayara west, where there’s a large 
airfield. “Kayara is the key pathway to be able to ultimately reach 
Mosul, ... so they've got to get up that river valley, and they're doing 
it quickly. We've seen significant progress just in the last few days,” 
he added.