Iraqi troops enter centre of Ramadi in attempt to dislodge Isis – spokesman

“The fall of Ramadi is inevitable. You know, the end is coming”, he said.

Also, press conferences announcing great success in “degrading and ultimately destroying” the Islamic State are a staple of this bizarrely ineffective conflict, going all the way back to the beginning. It is estimated that there may be as many as 500 ISIL fighters barricaded in the city.

On Monday, thinktank IHS Jane’s said IS group lost around 14 percent of its territory in 2015, while Syria’s Kurds nearly tripled the land they control.

In May, militants drove the army out of Ramadi in just a few days. They are directed to film their actions and distribute the videos, in an effort to discredit the Iraqi forces and the government of Iraq, Warren said.

Citing military statements, state TV said government forces have laid siege to the IS-held district of Ramadi, and killed hundreds of militants since Tuesday.

“Our forces are advancing toward the government complex in the centre of Ramadi”, the spokesman, Sabah al-Numan, said. These remaining didn’t look like giving up simply. And Iraqi troops are pushing into the city center from three sides.

Around 300 Islamic State fighters are believed to be in the city, and the security forces are fighting against improvised explosive devices and booby-trapped buildings in addition to militants. Gen. Yahya Rasool claimed “dozens” of ISIS fighters had been killed. Those casualty numbers could not be independently confirmed.

“It’s a slow process”, Col. Steve Warren, U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, said during a recent briefing.

Government forces, which have been supported by daily air strikes from the US-led coalition, had to move carefully through the devastated city, whose deserted streets were littered with rubble and shrapnel.

Experts inside and outside the USA military say Abadi’s reluctance to allow an expanded US presence in the fight reflects the influence of Iran and the Shiite sectarian factions in Baghdad who oppose American influence in Iraq. “They do all this to discredit the I.S.F”. “It’s the behavior of thugs, it’s the behavior of killers and it’s the behavior of terrorists”.

The Islamic State uses a familiar terrorism tactic of basing their operations among non-combatants in major urban centers and using the population as “human shields”, reports BBC News.

Recapturing Ramadi is a critical fight not only for a strategic city but also to reestablish the reputation of the Iraqi Security Forces within the country and overseas. The official added that the suburb of Bakir had been “completely devastated” from airstrikes and shelling.

Islamic State also controls Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and Falluja, which lies between Ramadi and Baghdad.

The US has offered “advisers” and attack helicopters for the battle, but Iraq refused.

To make gains in Anbar Province, which is a Sunni stronghold, the United States has urged Mr. Abadi’s government to reach out to Sunni tribal fighters trained and equipped by the United States.

“Victory in Ramadi means a victory for Iraqi security forces”, said Brig.