Iraqi armed forces and Shi'ite paramilitary groups staged a military parade in the capital of Baghdad on Thursday (July 14) to celebrate the anniversary of the 14th of July Revolution or the1958 military coup d'etat which overthrew the monarchy and founded the Republic of Iraq.
The parade, which was held at Baghdad's Tahrir Square, was attended by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a number of Iraqi officials and heads of diplomatic missions in Baghdad.
Iraqi army and police forces, along with different Shi'ite paramilitary groups, known as Hashid al-Shaabi or the Popular Mobilization, paraded with their military vehicles, tanks armored vehicles and missiles.
The parade comes just weeks after the recapture of Falluja city, a longtime bastion of the Sunni Muslim jihadists.
It also coincides with current offensive to retake Mosul, the largest city still under the control of Islamic State.
Abadi's Shi'ite-led government ordered the offensive on Falluja in May after a series of deadly bombings in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad that it said originated from the Sunni Muslim city, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the capital.
Falluja was the first Iraqi city captured by Islamic State in 2014, six months before it declared a caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria.
Since last year the insurgents have been losing ground to US-backed Iraqi government forces and Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias.