About 3,000 militia members in Iraq
have begun moving against Islamic State militants after the fall of the
city of Ramadi last week, officials say.
The pro-government forces say they have retaken Husayba, east of Ramadi.
Ramadi
- the capital of Anbar province - is only 110km (70 miles) west of
Baghdad. Its fall was seen as a major embarrassment for the government.
About 500 people died in the city, and more than 40,000 - a third of the population - have fled.
Analysis: John Simpson, BBC World Affairs Editor, Baghdad
It
looks very much as though the operation which has begun near Ramadi in
Anbar province is being carried out without much involvement by the
Iraqi army. Last weekend 200 Islamic State fighters captured Ramadi from
10 times that number of Iraqi army soldiers.
Military observers here maintain that the army simply doesn't have
the determination to match the commitment of Islamic State, and that the
so-called Popular Mobilisation forces are the only ones with the
necessary drive and determination.
There's a problem, though.
The majority of the volunteers are Shia Muslims, and there has been
anxiety about using them in Anbar province, which is overwhelmingly
Sunni. But the groups do contain Sunni fighters as well, and the
government maintains they operate under strict control. Fears of Shia muscle in Iraq's Sunni heartland Islamic State: How it is run
'Reprisals, shootings'
The
Iranian-backed Shia Popular Mobilisation forces (al-Hashd al-Shaabi)
launched their operation out of the Iraqi air base at Habbaniya, about
20 miles (30km) from Ramadi.
A Sunni tribal leader in Anbar,
Sheikh Rafia Abdelkarim al-Fahdawi, told AFP news agency that his
volunteers had also been deployed - in addition to police, special
forces and army troops.
Iraqi police spokesmen told news agencies
that IS militants had been driven from Husayba and it was now under the
control of pro-government forces.
Ramadi's fall was a massive blow
to the Iraqi army, to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and to the US,
which had encouraged his policy of relying on the official armed forces
and police and ruling out a role for the militias, says the BBC's Jim
Muir in Beirut.
The Shia militias played a key role in
re-capturing another mainly Sunni provincial capital, Tikrit, from IS at
the end of March.
Anbar province covers a vast stretch of the
country west from Baghdad to the Syrian border, and contains key roads
that link Iraq to both Syria and Jordan.
IS reportedly controls more than half of Anbar's territory.
The UN says it is trying to reach the civilians displaced from Ramadi.
The
largest concentration is at the Bzebiz bridge over the Euphrates, on
the road to Baghdad. It was closed by the authorities to prevent those
fleeing from entering the Iraqi capital.
There are reports of
children dying of dehydration in the heat, UN Deputy Humanitarian
Co-ordinator for Iraq Dominik Bartsch told the BBC.
It is unclear
why the Bzebiz bridge was closed, though there have been concerns that
militants could mingle with the displaced and infiltrate Baghdad.
Very little information is available about those still in Ramadi, Mr Bartsch said.
"We hear stories of reprisals, of shootings, of individual persecution of civilians who have remained in the city."
In
addition to Ramadi, this week IS militants have also seized the last
Syrian government-controlled border crossing with Syria on Friday and,
in Syria itself, the ancient city of Palmyra.
Some observers said IS now controls 50% of Syria's entire territory - as well as a third of Iraq.
On
Friday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq warned that
fighting IS was no longer a "local matter", and called on the
international community to act.
An international coalition has been carrying out air strikes against the militants in Iraq and Syria for months.
Islamic State militants are cementing their hold on Ramadi - the Iraqi city they captured on Sunday, reports say.
Militants
were going door-to-door looking for government sympathisers and
throwing bodies in the nearby Euphrates river, residents were quoted as
saying.
Thousands of Iranian-backed militiamen are gathering east
of Ramadi ahead of a bid to retake the city. IS militants are reportedly
heading towards them.
The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian crisis as thousands flee. It says some 25,000 people have left
the city, only 105km (65 miles) west of Baghdad, in recent days, adding
to a flood of people already displaced from the area. Many were
sleeping in the open.
The UN says it is trying to meet the needs of those displaced, but funds are low and its stocks have almost gone.
The
loss of Ramadi, the capital of the western Anbar province, is a blow
for both the Iraqi government and US strategy in the area, say the BBC's
Jim Muir in Beirut.
Retaking it is a massive challenge to the Iraqi government, which has
had to appeal to the Shia militias despite the risks of a sectarian
backlash from sending them deep into the Sunni heartland, our
correspondent says.
Police and military made a chaotic retreat from the city, which has been contested for months, after days of intense fighting.
Homes torched
Reports from Ramadi described deserted streets, with residents making hurried trips out of their houses to search for food.
IS
militants were breaking into the homes of policemen and pro-government
tribesmen, said residents who spoke to Associated Press news agency.
Homes and shops owned by pro-government Sunni militiamen were looted
or torched, the residents said on condition of anonymity for fear of
reprisals.
Some 3,000 Shia militiamen are said to be "on stand-by"
at al-Habbaniyah military camp, some 20km east of Ramadi, in
preparation for an attempt to recapture the city.
On Tuesday Anbar
police chief Kadhim al-Fahdawi told AFP news agency a large number of
well-prepared troops were positioned in Husaybah, which is closer to
Ramadi.
He said this area - deep in Iraq's Sunni heartland -
would be the "starting point" for operations, but that much planning
remained to be done.
"The military operation to liberate Ramadi and Anbar will not start until all the requirements are met," Mr Fahdawi said.
The
Shia militias, known as the Popular Mobilisation (al-Hashd al-Shaabi),
were key to the recapture from IS of another city, Tikrit, north of
Baghdad, in April.
But although their presence was welcomed by some Sunni leaders, some
Ramadi residents said they feared them as much as the Islamic State
fighters.
"If the Shia militias enter Ramadi, they will do the
same things being done by Daesh [IS]," Abu Ammar, an Anbar native who
owns a grocery store in Ramadi, told AP.
"In both cases, we will be either killed or displaced. For us, the militias and IS militants are two faces of the same coin."
The US will have to decide whether it will use its air power in support of the Iranian-backed militias, he says.
The
US has not given a uniform response to the capture of Ramadi, with the
Pentagon suggesting it is not tactically significant, while the state
department describes it as a setback.
But the eight sorties flown
over Ramadi by US forces in the past day suggest it is a pressing
concern, says the BBC's Jon Sopel in Washington.
Anbar province
covers a vast stretch of the country west from Baghdad to the Syrian
border, and contains key roads that link Iraq to both Syria and Jordan.
IS reportedly controls more than half of Anbar's territory.
Troubled history of Anbar province
Iraq's largest province, which is Sunni-dominated, was occupied by US forces in 2003
Hostile to the US, fighting quickly broke out between US troops and the region's Sunni insurgents
The worst battle came in 2004, when thousands died as US troops and coalition forces struggled to take the town of Falluja
Fighting continued in 2005 and 2006 during which time al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) rose to prominence
The US declared victory in 2007 but AQI remained, resuming attacks in 2011 when US troops withdrew
Islamic State and other Sunni insurgents currently control much of the province
The strategic Iraqi city of Ramadi
has fallen to Islamic State (IS) after government forces abandoned their
positions, officials say.
The police and military made a chaotic retreat after being overwhelmed by the militants.
The prime minister had ordered troops to stand their ground, saying he was deploying Shia militia to the city.
Ramadi is the capital of Iraq's largest province, Anbar, and is just 70 miles (112km) west of Baghdad.
A statement purportedly from IS said its fighters had "purged the entire city".
A
very well-placed source in the Anbar governor's office told the BBC
Ramadi was now under the full control of Islamic State, and all
government troops had withdrawn.
An army officer told the BBC that most troops had retreated to a military base in the city of Khalidiya, east of Ramadi.
Government
troops were running out of ammunition and could not repel the massive
onslaughts by IS, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Footage posted on social media showed military vehicles speeding away from Ramadi, with soldiers holding on to their sides.
Reports said Iraqi forces fled following a series of suicide car bomb attacks on Sunday.
Four
almost simultaneous explosions hit police defending the Malaab district
in southern Ramadi and later, three more suicide bombers drove
explosive-laden cars into the gate of the provincial military
headquarters, the Anbar Operation Command, officials said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called on pro-government
forces to "hold their positions and preserve them and not allow Daesh
(IS) to extend to other areas in Ramadi".
"There is continuous air
cover that will help ground troops there hold their positions while
waiting for support from other forces and the Popular Mobilisation
Units," he said, referring to the umbrella group for Shia militias. The militias
played a key role in the government's recent recapture of the city of
Tikrit from IS, but pulled out of the city following reports of
widespread violence and looting.
The loss of Ramadi represents a
very serious setback for the government, and Iraqi officials are
alarmed, the BBC's Ahmed Maher reports from Baghdad.
Anbar
province covers a vast stretch of the country west from the capital
Baghdad to the Syrian border, and contains key roads that link Iraq to
both Syria and Jordan.
IS reportedly controls more than half of Anbar's territory.
On Friday, IS took a government compound in Ramadi, raising its black
flags, before retreating. Its fighters seized the city centre on
Saturday and continued their advance.
The deputy head of Anbar
council, Faleh al-Issawi, told the BBC that more than 500 people had
been killed in the last two days of fighting in and around Ramadi,
including policemen who were trapped after running out of ammunition,
and civilians caught in the crossfire.
Some 8,000 people have been displaced over the same period, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The battle against IS in maps
Troubled history of Anbar province
Iraq's largest province and its only Sunni-dominated one was occupied by US forces in 2003
Hostile to the US, fighting quickly broke out between US troops and the region's Sunni insurgents
The worst battle came in 2004, when thousands died as US troops and coalition forces struggled to take the town of Falluja
Fighting continued in 2005 and 2006 during which time al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) rose to prominence
The US declared victory in 2007 but AQI remained, resuming attacks in 2011 when US troops withdrew
Islamic State and other Sunni insurgents currently control much of the province
Most Iraqi troops have abandoned
their positions in Ramadi as Islamic State militants have advanced
further into the city, officials have told the BBC.
They said IS militants had taken control of a compound that was used as the provincial military command centre.
The
prime minister called on troops not to desert their positions, while
telling Shia militias to prepare to deploy to the heavily Sunni area.
IS claimed to hold the entire city in a message posted online.
The
message, which has not been independently verified, said militants had
captured the 8th Brigade army base as well as tanks and missile
launchers.
Ramadi is the capital of Iraq's largest province, Anbar, and is just 70 miles (112km) west of Baghdad.
An army officer told the BBC that most troops had retreated to a military base in the city of Khalidiya, east of Ramadi.
Government
troops were running out of ammunition and could not repel the massive
onslaughts by IS, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He said some troops were still trapped in the military command centre, where they were engaged in heavy fighting with militants.
Muhannad
Haimour, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP: "Ramadi has
not fallen - there are still people fighting in some neighbourhoods."
In comments broadcast on state TV, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
ordered Shia militias to prepare to join the fight in the Sunni-majority
region. The militias
played a key role in the government's recent recapture of the city of
Tikrit from IS, but pulled out of the city following reports of
widespread violence and looting.
The loss of Ramadi would
represent a very serious setback for the government, and Iraqi officials
are alarmed, the BBC's Ahmed Maher reports from Baghdad.
Anbar
province covers a vast stretch of the country west from the capital
Baghdad to the Syrian border, and contains key roads that link Iraq to
both Syria and Jordan.
IS reportedly controls more than half of Anbar's territory.
On Friday, IS took a government compound in Ramadi, raising its black flags, before retreating a day later.
The
deputy head of Anbar council, Faleh al-Issawi, told the BBC that more
than 500 people had been killed in the last two days of fighting in and
around Ramadi, including policemen who were trapped after running out of
ammunition, and civilians caught in the crossfire.
Some 8,000 people have been displaced over the same period, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The battle against IS in maps
Troubled history of Anbar province
Iraq's largest province and its only Sunni-dominated one was occupied by US forces in 2003
Hostile to the US, fighting quickly broke out between US troops and the region's Sunni insurgents
The worst battle came in 2004, when thousands died as US troops and coalition forces struggled to take the town of Falluja
Fighting continued in 2005 and 2006 during which time al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) rose to prominence
The US declared victory in 2007 but AQI remained, resuming attacks in 2011 when US troops withdrew
Islamic State and other Sunni insurgents currently control much of the province
Islamic State militants have made
further gains in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, with reports of them taking a
key military command centre.
Local officials have said the city is on the verge of falling, with army reinforcements unable to hold ground.
The prime minister called on troops not to abandon their posts, while telling Shia militias to prepare to deploy.
Ramadi is the capital of Iraq's largest province, Anbar, and is just 70 miles (112km) west of Baghdad.
Muhannad
Haimour, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP news agency
that security forces had abandoned an operations command base on
Saturday on the northern bank of the Euphrates.
But he added: "Ramadi has not fallen - there are still people fighting in some neighbourhoods."
A police commander said government forces had redeployed from the city to its outskirts.
In comments broadcast on state TV, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
ordered Shia militias to prepare to join the fight in the Sunni-majority
region, the Associated Press reported. The militias
played a key role in the government's recent recapture of Tikrit from
IS, but pulled out of the city following reports of widespread violence
and looting.
The loss of Ramadi would represent a very serious
setback for the government, and Iraqi officials are alarmed, the BBC's
Ahmed Maher reports from Baghdad.
Anbar province covers a vast
stretch of the country west from the capital Baghdad to the Syrian
border, and contains key roads that link Iraq to both Syria and Jordan.
IS reportedly controls more than half of Anbar's territory.
On Friday, IS took a government compound in Ramadi, raising its black flags, before retreating a day later.
A
local official said more than 500 people had been killed in the last
two days of fighting in and around Ramadi, including policemen who were
trapped after running out of ammunition and civilians caught in the
crossfire.
Some 8,000 people have been displaced over the same period, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The battle against IS in maps
Troubled history of Anbar province
Iraq's largest province and its only Sunni-dominated one was occupied by US forces in 2003
Hostile to the US, fighting quickly broke out between US troops and the region's Sunni insurgents
The worst battle came in 2004, when thousands died as US troops and coalition forces struggled to take the town of Falluja
Fighting continued in 2005 and 2006 during which time al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) rose to prominence
The US declared victory in 2007 but AQI remained, resuming attacks in 2011 when US troops withdrew
Islamic State and other Sunni insurgents currently control much of the province
