Iraq forces extend Ramadi control, rescue civilians

Clashes broke out on Friday between militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) and Iraqi army forces in the city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

He called for the immediate removal of explosives and the restoration of basic services to allow the safe return of civilians to their homes.

Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesman for the Hashid Shaabi – a coalition of mostly Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias set up to fight Islamic State – said Falluja would likely come before Mosul.

Expressing his concern over the recent abduction of a group of Qatari citizens in Iraq, including children, Ban urged al-Abadi to do everything possible to ensure their prompt and safe release, it said. Areas are still insecure, littered with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and booby-traps.

The Iraqi trade ministry said it was preparing to send emergency food aid to Ramadi.

US Army Captain Chance McCraw, a coalition intelligence officer, said the Iraqis were still working on plans for what to do after retaking Ramadi.

“They are clearing several other neighbourhoods”, he said.

According to the International Organization for Migration the residents of Anbar account for more than one third of the 3.2 million people began fleeing two years ago when ISIL started moving in and tensions escalated.

He said they were detained Thursday and would be interrogated.

The city, situated 60 miles west of the capital Baghdad, once had a population of 400,000 but has been all but destroyed by terrorists since they seized it to create their caliphate in May 2015. It is the largest Iraqi city under the group’s control and is expected to be harder to recapture than Ramadi.

Iraqi forces may face a big battle near Baghdad before they can try to retake the Daesh stronghold of Mosul: Fallujah, a long-time bastion of Sunni Muslim jihadists at the capital’s western gates.

The coalition said its advisers were not on the ground during the Ramadi battle but provided training and equipment to Iraqi forces.