Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said in a television statement that government forces have retaken most of the city of Fallujah from Islamic State militants, adding that only a few small pockets of resistance remained.

"We promised to liberate Fallujah, and we took it back. Our brave forces went into the town and took control of areas inside the city. I directed all the government institutions to mobilize efforts to help civilians and provide humanitarian aid to them. I also directed our heroic forces that are now in control on Fallujah," he said.

The victory for Iraq's military comes nearly a month after the offensive against ISIL militants was launched. Fallujah has been controlled by militants for almost two years. Pushing into the city, the military retook a government complex where police raised the Iraqi state flag above the building. Fallujah, located 30 miles from the capital Baghdad, was one of ISIL's most emblematic strongholds. Losing it would leave Mosul as the only major Iraqi city under militant control.