Iraqi Forces Liberate Villages Near Fallujah
MEP: The Iraqi forces have liberated 11 villages and districts from Islamic State (IS or Daesh) terrorist group in the western Anbar Province in their first major advance since the beginning of an offensive to retake the nearby city of Fallujah, a federal police commander told NBC News Monday.
Iraqi jets bombed ISIS positions in Fallujah late Sunday, destroying an explosive-making factory and a court building where the extremist group sentenced many of its victims to death, the al-Sumaria news website reported.
The forces on Monday pushed the terror group out of al-Karmah, 13 km (eight miles) to the east of Fallujah, raising the Iraqi flag over its major buildings, according to the source.
General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, who commands Operation Break Terrorism aimed at retaking Fallujah, said regular Iraqi security forces and Popular Mobilization (Hashid al-Shaabi) units took part in the liberation.
Residents of nearby western Baghdad and the United Nations high commission for refugees reported that scores of Fallujah families had managed to escape the city, responding to warnings from the prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, to leave.
The offensive is being conducted by the army, police, counter-terrorism forces, local tribal fighters and a coalition of mostly Shia Muslim militias, Abadi said on Sunday.
Besides Fallujah, ISIS still controls massive stretches of territory and cities like Mosul — the country’s second largest — which authorities have pledged to retake this year.
