Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi posted a picture online of himself raising an Iraqi flag in central Tikrit. Photo: BBC

(VOVworld)- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledged to liberate all of Iraq’s territory from the control of Islamic State (IS) on Wednesday, following the Iraqi government’s Tikrit victory over IS militants. Al-Abadi pledged to liberate “every piece of land” from IS occupation. Iraqi security forces recaptured Tikrit after the month-long clash with IS on Tuesday. However, some gunmen have remained to try and find ways to approach Tikrit University in northern Tikrit.

Iraqi forces have discovered a mass grave on the bank of the Tigris river containing many bodies, said to be Shiite soldiers of the Iraqi army who were executed by IS last June. Local police found dozen of ID cards near the area, which matches the information about the soldiers.