BAGHDAD, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi parliament on Sunday called for further coordination with the U.S.-led international coalition to regain control of the remaining regions still held by the Islamic State (IS) militants.
A statement by the Iraqi parliament said that Salim al-Jubouri, the parliament speaker, had made the remarks while meeting the U.S. ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman.
"The liberation of the remaining areas requires more coordination between Iraq and the international coalition to end the rule of IS over the area, in order to start the reconstruction of the devastated cities and to bring back the displaced people to their homes as soon as possible," the statement quoted Jubouri as saying.
The two officials also reviewed local and regional political and security issues, as well as coordination in counter-terrorism file and the war against the IS, according to the statement.
For his part, the U.S. ambassador expressed his country's support to Iraq in its fight against terrorism, stressing that the unity of Iraq confronting the IS group is an important step towards restoring stability and security in all areas of the country.
The meeting came after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared Mosul's liberation on July 10 from IS after nearly nine months of fierce fighting to dislodge the extremist militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq.
The Iraqi forces still have to wage more offensives to drive out IS militants from their redoubts in Tel Afer in west of Mosul, Hawijah in southwestern Kirkuk, the adjacent sprawling rugged areas in eastern Salahudin province, in addition to the remaining IS strongholds in the border towns with Syria in western Anbar province.
