It was a night of celebration in Iraq, with fireworks and a sea of flags as residents celebrated victory over IS in the country's third-largest city.
It had been three years since militants first seized the northern city of Mosul and made it the stronghold of a self-proclaimed caliphate they said would take over the world.
Now, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has formally declared victory over IS, also known as ISIS and Daesh in Mosul.
"Dear Iraqis, our victory today is a victory against tyranny and against barbarism. I announce here, from here, and to the whole world, the end and the failure and the collapse of the state of myth, the Daesh terrorism."
Amid celebrations in the capital Baghdad, one resident, Mahmoud Ahmed, says the good news has brought much-needed joy to the Iraqi people.
"As you can see, victory has brought happiness and joy to all the Iraqi people. We pray to the Almighty God that peace and security prevails in Iraq. Iraqi people have suffered a lot, and we hope that Mosul people will return to their homes."
But the victory has come at a terrible cost.
The battle for Mosul has taken almost nine months, killing thousands of civilians and displacing almost a million more.
Most of Mosul's Old City has been reduced to rubble.
Commanders from the United States-led coalition that provided key air and ground support say the urban combat had been the most intense since the Second World War.
In the United States, the Trump administration has congratulated Iraq on its victory.
Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the coalition is proud to have fought alongside the Iraqi forces.
"We in the United States and the global coalition are proud to stand with the Iraqi security forces and all those who made the moment of liberation possible. We've made tremendous progress against ISIS, more in the past six months than in the years since ISIS became a major threat. The victory in Mosul, a city where ISIS once proclaimed its so-called caliphate, signals that its days in Iraq and Syria are numbered. We will continue to seek the total destruction of ISIS."
The United Nations has also welcomed an end to the fighting in Mosul, but has cautioned that the humanitarian crisis continues.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric says more challenges lie ahead, the most pressing one being the enormous task of rebuilding the city.
"The recovery of Mosul is a significant step in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. The Secretary-General paid tribute to the people and the government of Iraq for their courage, determination and perseverance. He also expressed his sincere condolences for the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured. The United Nations will stand by the government of Iraq in the tasks ahead of creating the necessary conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of displaced communities, restoring the rule of law in freed-up areas and preventing a return of violence and fostering accountability for all violations committed."
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