Iraqi Troops Fight ISIS For Ramadi

One of the attacks on Monday hit a checkpoint in the Saiydiyah district along a route pilgrims use to travel to the city of Karbala for the “Arbaeen” commemoration.

Since Arbaeen is a Muslim religious observance that has influenced various political uprisings in the past, it’s frequently marked by violence despite security measures taken to protect the pilgrims. Four soldiers are among the dead, according to the Associated Press. AP’s earlier story is below.

Six months after losing the Anbar capital city of Ramadi to ISIS, the Iraqi military today is dropping leaflets on the city reporting a full-scale offensive will be carried out in the next 24-hours, and are ordering all civilians out of the city.

The military statement, broadcast on Iraqi state TV, said families should leave the city from the south, without providing further details.

On Saturday, the US-led coalition conducted seven airstrikes in the area, targeting Daesh weapons and personnel.

“This is the final warning by the security forces to individuals inside Ramadi”, the source added.

Iraqi security forces, local police, Iraqi federal police, anti-terror forces and at least 10,000 tribal fighters are engaged in the fight against ISIS in Sunni-dominated Anbar province.

Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government is heavily backed by Iran, which also provides training, arms and money to Iraq’s powerful Shi’ite militias, seen as a bulwark in the battle against Islamic State militants in the country’s north and west.