Syria congratulated Iraq on liberating al-Ramadi, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Syria congratulated Iraq on liberating al-Ramadi, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

SANA news agency quoted an official source at the foreign ministry said the “Syrian government is proud of the liberation of al-Ramadi which was achieved by the Iraqi Army, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and all the forces that helped in vanquishing ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and Levant) gangs and in restoring control over a vital part of Iraq.”

“The victories achieved by the Iraqi people are victories for the Syrian people, as the two countries are in one trench in the war waged by the Syrian and Iraq armies against terrorism represented by ISIL and other terrorist organization,” the source said.

The war on terrorism requires obligating neighboring countries, particularly Turkey and Saudi Arabia, to fight terrorism, refrain from providing any support, funding, or harboring terrorist organization, and adhering to the Security Council’s counter-terrorism resolution, SANA added, according to the source.

The statement concluded by voicing hope that 2016 will be the year when ISIL and terrorism are defeated in Syria and Iraq and when security and stability are restored to them and to the rest of the region and the world.