US army: ISIS militants still in Ramadi

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--Several hundred Islamic State (ISIS) militants are still believed to be in Ramadi days after the Iraqi army declared it free from the group's control.

U.S. Army Captain Chance McCraw told reporters in Baghdad there are militants inside the city and in the direction of Fallujah.

"Within what we call central Ramadi they estimate still up to 400 Daesh [ISIS] members and then once you go east of that toward Fallujah you've got about 300 out there in that direction," U.S. Army Captain Chance McCraw was quoted by Reuters. 

The Iraqi army reached the center of Ramadi on Monday and raised the national flag on top of the government compound. 

Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi hailed the liberation of Ramadi as a fatal blow to ISIS and said 2016 would be the year of total victory over the group.