Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Iraqi forces 'advance into Islamic State-held Ramadi'


  • 16 minutes ago


by Leila Mohamed and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Beirut

Iraqi soldiers in northern Ramadi (21 December 2015)Image copyright AP
Image caption Iraqi officials said government forces were advancing into central Ramadi on several fronts
Iraqi government forces have advanced into the centre of the city of Ramadi, which is controlled by jihadist group Islamic State (IS), officials say.
A spokesman for the Counter-Terrorism Service, Sabah al-Numani, said troops and militiamen, supported by the air force, were clearing residential areas.
They were heading towards the main government complex, he added.
Ramadi, about 90km (55 miles) west of Baghdad, fell to IS in May in an embarrassing defeat for the Iraqi army.
Last month, government forces completed their encirclement of the city, cutting off militants inside the centre from their strongholds elsewhere in Anbar province.

'Human shields'

The army's chief of staff Lt Gen Othman al-Ghanemi told state TV on Monday that the "storming of the city of Ramadi, as well as cleansing operations against IS elements" was imminent.
Map of Ramadi showing control by Islamic State militants
On Tuesday morning, Mr Numani said troops from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service, backed by the army, Sunni tribesmen and US-led coalition aircraft, had begun the assault and were advancing towards the government complex.
"We went into the centre of Ramadi from several fronts and we began purging residential areas," he told the AFP news agency.
"The city will be cleared in the coming 72 hours."
Iraqi intelligence estimates that between 250 and 300 militants are inside Ramadi.
The defence ministry said on Monday that the jihadists had prevented civilians leaving since leaflets warning of an assault were dropped over the city last month.
"They plan to use them as human shields," spokesman Naseer Nuri told the Reuters news agency, without indicating the number of civilians who were at risk.
Destroyed bridge over the River Euphrates in northern RamadiImage copyright AP
Image caption IS militants destroyed bridges over the River Euphrates to slow the government's advance
Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service forces drive through the Tamim district of Ramadi (9 December 2015)Image copyright AFP
Image caption The western Tamim district was retaken by Counter-Terrorism Service forces earlier this month
The US military says IS has also developed a strong defensive system, including using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to create minefields.
IS has lost control of several key towns in Iraq to government and Kurdish forces since overrunning large swathes of the country's west and north in June 2014 and proclaiming the creation of a "caliphate" that also extended into neighbouring Syria.
Last month, Iraqi Kurdish forces recaptured the north-western town of Sinjar.
On Monday, analysis by IHS Jane's suggested that IS had lost 14% of its overall territory in Iraq and Syria, about 12,800 sq km (4,940 sq miles), over the past year.
Despite this, the group has been able to capture new territory of strategic value over the same period, including Ramadi and Palmyra in Syria's Homs province.

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