An Iraqi fighter waves the national flag as he walks ahead of pick-up trucks carrying members of the Iraqi forces and supported by members of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation units), as they advance through Anbar province, 20 kilometres east of the city of Rawah in the western desert bordering Syria, on November 25, 2017, in a bid to flush out remaining Islamic State (IS) group fighters in the al-Jazeera region. (AFP Photo)

BAGHDAD, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday officially declared full liberation of Iraq from the Islamic State (IS) militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

"I announce to the Iraqi people and all the world that our forces have reached the last redoubts of Daesh (IS) and have raised the Iraqi flag over areas of western Anbar (province) which was the last occupied land by IS.

"The Iraqi flag is rising today over the farthest border point," Abadi said in a televised speech.