BAGHDAD: An Iraqi military commander says the centre of the western city of Ramadi is mostly calm, a day after government troops routed Islamic State militants from the area and recaptured a key government complex.

Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Belawi told The Associated Press on Tuesday that engineering teams were clearing bombs from the streets and nearby buildings. Al-Belawi says sporadic clashes are underway in outlying parts of the city.

Iraqi forces, backed by US-led airstrikes, drove IS militants out of the city centre on Monday and raised the Iraqi flag over the government complex. But military officials said insurgents were still holed up in various pockets of the city.

Ramadi, the Anbar provincial capital, fell to IS in May, marking a major setback for Iraqi forces and the US-led campaign.