Al-Qaeda is losing its war in Iraq and will not achieve its goals, the Iraqi government said Tuesday (May 8th).

Ali al-Dabbagh, the Iraqi government spokesperson, told Al-Shorfa that field data in Iraq shows al-Qaeda is about to end both as an ideology and as a military force.

The victories that Iraqi security forces achieved in their war against al-Qaeda are greater than victories achieved by regional countries, he said.

"Therefore, the war on al-Qaeda is approaching its end," he said, describing the organisation as a "sick man".

He said al-Qaeda has lost its popularity in the Iraqi street and has begun to withdraw from city centres.