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Iraqi security forces gather on the outskirts of Fallujah on May 22, 2016.(Photo: Ahmad al-Rubaye, AFP/Getty)
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced Sunday the start of military operations to retake the city of Fallujah, which has been controlled by Islamic State militants.
In a televised address, al-Abadi said Iraqi forces are “approaching a moment of great victory” against the terror group, the Associated Press reported. Al-Abadi reportedly was surrounded by top military commanders from the country’s elite counterterrorism forces as he made the announcement.
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Fallujah is a predominately Sunni city<span style="color: Red;">*</span>about 40 miles west of Baghdad that has been under the control of the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>since 2014, when it became one of the first Iraqi cities to fall to the group.
The offensive in Fallujah comes after a successful Iraqi government operation last December to wrest Ramadi, another Sunni city in western Iraq, from militant control.
The Fallujah operation could be more complex, however, as a number of Shiite militias likely will<span style="color: Red;">*</span>take part in the operation. The Pentagon has said they will only support such militias when they fall under Iraqi government control. Some of the Shiite militias are under the influence of Iran.
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It’s also not clear what impact an operation in Fallujah would have on the much tougher offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, from Islamic State control. Iraqi forces have begun to isolate Mosul and conduct preliminary operations around the city.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>But a recent spate of bombings in Baghdad has alarmed the government and may have placed pressure on it to take action in Fallujah, which is only 35 miles from the capital. Repelling militants from Fallujah would allow the government to better secure Baghdad and close off a major route into the city from militant-held territory.
Iraq’s government also has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>been under political pressure<span style="color: Red;">*</span>from Sunni leaders to liberate Fallujah. Recently, there have been reports of civilians starving in the city, which has increasingly been cut off from the rest of the country.
The government warned Fallujah residents earlier Sunday to prepare to flee the city or hang white flags outside their homes when the military began its offensive.
Earlier, Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi had said the liberation of Fallujah would begin “in the coming days” and asked residents to cooperate with security forces. Tanks and other military vehicles lined some streets outside the city Sunday, trying to create safe exit routes.
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The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq issued a report last month saying militants were killing residents attempting to leave the city. The report said residents face acute shortages of food and medicine, and that “humanitarian conditions are worsening and human suffering is increasing” in the city.
Iraqi Special Forces, backed by coalition air support, recaptured the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi in December. Since then, Operation Desert Lynx has seen Iraqi military forces liberating a handful of towns and villages from militant control.
Last week, Iraqi soldiers fighting with tribal forces and aided by air support from the U.S.-led coalition reclaimed the town of Rutbah, which sits on the highway linking Syria with Jordan.
Iraqi Brig. Gen. Abdul-Ameer al-Khazraji said militants offered little resistance. Iraq has made consistent gains against the militants on the battlefield in recent months, although suicide bombings and other terror attacks have taken a brutal toll.
Even Baghdad's heavily guarded<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Green Zone, home to government ministries and international operations,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has seen breaches.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Anti-government protesters overran blast walls<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Friday,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>drawing fire from Iraqi security forces. Scores were wounded, and the violence caused<span style="color: Red;">*</span>al-Abadi<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to impose a curfew in the city.
Contributing: Jim Michaels, USA TODAY
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