Iraqi forces captured the Islamic State’s last stronghold in northern Iraq on Thursday, leaving the self-proclaimed caliphate with just one more base of operations. The militant group ceased its occupation of Hawija in northern Iraq after an offensive by Iraqi government troops and a state-sponsored Shia militia group, known as the “Popular Mobilization Unit.” The only area remaining to the Islamic State in Iraq is a narrow strand along the border between Iraq and Syria. “I want to announce the liberation of the city of Hawija today,” Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in Paris on Thursday. The prime minister continued … Continue reading As Iraq captures ISIS stronghold, regional powers prepare for new realities