After living for more than two years under "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) siege, residents of the southern Ninawa town of al-Qayyara are falling back into a daily routine and assisting Iraqi forces in returning stability.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi announced last month the full liberation of the oil-producing area, describing the liberation of al-Qayyara as "an important step toward achieving the larger goal of restoring Mosul".

As joint army and anti-terrorism agency forces made their way through al-Qayyara's streets and neighbourhoods on August 25th, local residents welcomed them with cheers and celebration.

"The joy of residents and the security forces is the joy of victory, which we can see today on the faces of both young and old," Iraqi army special operations command chief of staff Col. Falah Fadil told Diyaruna.

"We are telling our people in Iraq that victory is near in the whole country," he said. "Mosul is not far from al-Qayyara and it will soon be freed from ISIL."

"The people were scared at first because they did not expect the anti-terrorism agency forces to enter the city in such a record time," said Maj. Gen. Hazim Karim, adding that ISIL fighters were driven out of al-Qayyara in just two days.

"But when we entered the city centre and main street, the local residents welcomed us with cheers and applause," he told Diyaruna.

Residents assist Iraqi forces

Iraqis have been quick to offer assistance to the liberating forces, and have started to provide valuable security information about the location of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), booby trapped homes and safe houses, Karim said.

These safe houses served as former ISIL headquarters and as shelters for the group's foreign fighters, he added.

Civilians "are guiding us to buildings where members of the terrorist group were based before fleeing outside the city", he said.

Iraqi troops, with support from local residents and security information, have arrested 15 ISIL elements who remained in the city, he said, while dozens of others fled to the area of al-Hod, north of al-Qayyara.

"The support of residents to the security forces is beyond belief," said Lt. Col. Ali al-Husseini, commander of the Najaf anti-terrorism regiment that took part in the liberation operation.

Some are guiding Iraqi troops to the location of remaining ISIL elements, he told Diyaruna, while others are removing remnants of the group's presence, tearing down signs and painting over slogans and symbols on the façades of buildings.

A large number of government employees resumed work the day after al-Qayyara's liberation, he added, to ensure water and power services quickly returned to their city.

Other residents are helping the Iraqi forces and Oil Ministry engineering teams put out the fires ISIL set in al-Qayyara's oil wells before fleeing the area, al-Husseini said.

"All of that proves the extent of the desire of Iraqis to build their country under the flag of the Iraqi state and the protection of the Iraqi army," he said.