Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraqi military forces during a visit here following nearly nine months of battle to oust Islamic State, meeting with commanders and greeting residents, with the extremists confined to a tiny patch of territory.
MOSUL, Iraq—Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraqi military forces during a visit here following nearly nine months of battle to oust Islamic State, meeting with commanders and greeting residents, with the extremists confined to a tiny patch of territory.
But he stopped short of declaring a final victory on Sunday. Mr. Abadi’s visit had raised expectations that he would announce the full recapture of the nation’s…