Iraqi P.M. declares victory over ISIS in Fallujah

Jun 17, 2016, 3:23 PM EDT

(Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office/flickr)

Iraqi P.M. Haider al-Abadi declared victory over ISIS in Fallujah, although fighting continues to mop up remaining pockets of militants.

Reuters reports:

Iraqi forces on Friday entered the center of Falluja, the Iraqi city longest held by Islamic State, nearly four weeks after the start of a U.S.-backed offensive that cleared out the tens of thousands of residents still there. Government troops, supported by multiple air strikes from a U.S.-led coalition, recaptured the municipal building, though the ultra-hardline militants still controlled a significant portion of Falluja, an hour's drive west of Baghdad, and many streets and houses remain mined with explosives. Federal police raised the Iraqi state flag above the government building and continued pursuing insurgents, according to a military statement. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Iraqi forces had taken back a portion of the city, although he added: "There's still some fighting to be done." Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory shortly after nightfall, as government forces continued pushing into parts of the city held by the militants. Security forces have "tightened their control inside the city and there are still some pockets that need to be cleansed in the coming hours," he said in a brief speech on state television. mobile.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSKCN0Z30U5

USA Today notes:

The United Nations estimated about 40,000 people have managed to flee the town, but the Norwegian Refugee Council put that number at about 30,000. The refugees have strained the government's ability to supply them with aid. The aid groups estimated the civilian population at about 50,000, who if caught fleeing, would be killed by militants. Dozens of people managed to escape the city Friday, the Iraqi military said, adding that the advance is going as planned. Another key concern is that the offensive could heighten sectarian tensions. Iraq's Shiite-dominated government has pledged to investigate any reports of reprisals against Sunni civilians in the city. The Shiite militias are not inside the city, but are arrayed in positions around it, according to the Pentagon.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/17/iraqi-forces-seize-center-f...

The Telegraph writes:

Friday’s gains mark a significant step in the nearly four-week-old offensive. It is the closest the army, backed by elite counterterrorism forces, has got to the centre. It had so far only managed to skirt the city as it fended off suicide attacks and mines laid by the jihadists. After the recent push, government forces are now estimated to be in control of most of the central, southern and eastern districts. "This operation was met with little resistance from Daesh," Gen Lt Abdulwahab Saadi said, using an Arabic acronym for Isil.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/17/iraqi-army-claims-to-have-raised-fla...

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