THE military collapse of Isis continued yesterday, when Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the liberation of Hawija, west of Kirkuk.

Speaking in Paris at a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Abadi hailed the city’s capture as a “victory not just for Iraq but for the whole world."

He said the next target for the offensive against the jihadists would be Anbar province, a vast and barren area bordering Syria through which several key oil and gas pipelines pass.