Iraq - Fallujah assault

robert99

robert99

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Falluja assault: Iraq PM announces beginning of military operation - BBC News
Fallujah civilians told to flee as Iraqi troops prepare to attack ISIS
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/220520162
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of a military operation to retake Falluja from so-called Islamic State (IS).

"Zero hour for the liberation of Falluja has arrived. The moment of great victory has drawn near and Daesh has no choice but to flee," he said.

The BBC's Middle East correspondent, Jim Muir, said between 60,000-90,000 civilians remained in Falluja.

The Iraqi army, police and irregular forces virtually surround Falluja and have been heavily reinforced in preparation for an assault on several fronts that military sources say could begin in the next day or so, and which they expect to last two or three weeks.

That may be optimistic, given the many weeks it took earlier this year to take full control of Ramadi, another city further to the west.

Falluja has been held by the militants of IS much longer, for nearly two and a half years, and has withstood a massive battering by government shelling and bombing.

(This could be long and very bloody :( For those who think the name sounds familiar here's the wiki about the US invasion battle in Fallujah in 2004 and the infamous Blackwater incident First Battle of Fallujah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Second Battle of Fallujah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )
 
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http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/220520163
... which explains why "Col. Warren called on the Iraqis last Wednesday not to redeploy their troops from the frontlines to counter terrorist attacks in Baghdad or, possibly, to secure government institutions and assets from angry protesters. "

On Friday, the Iraqi military implied that the protesters were hampering the war against ISIS.

“Infiltrators exploited our forces’ preoccupation with preparations for the Fallujah battle to penetrate state institutions and cause chaos,” the military claimed.

Fallujah, which is a mere 50 kilometers west of Baghdad, has been occupied by ISIS since January 2014. The Iraqi military says they plan to liberate Fallujah from ISIS before Mosul.

Friday’s events were the second storming of the Green Zone in less than a month. It also came after a series of car bombs, claimed by ISIS, killed over 200 people, making May the bloodiest month for the capital so far this year.

PressTV-Iraqi troops advance to liberate Fallujah
Iraqi jets bombed Daesh positions in Fallujah late Sunday, destroying an explosive-making factory and a court building where the extremist group sentenced many of its victims to death, the al-Sumaria news website reported.

According to volunteer Hashid al-Shaabi sources, troops pounded terrorist positions in northern and northeastern Fallujah with heavy rocket and artillery fire.

The districts of Harariat and al-Lifyah as well as parts of Shahabi were liberated as troops advanced on to retake the remaining territory still under the Daesh control, the al-Forat news agency said Monday.

The offensive is being conducted by the army, police, counter-terrorism forces, local tribal fighters and a coalition of mostly Shia Muslim militias, Prime Minister Abadi said on Sunday.
 
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"The first casualty of war is truth” - worth remembering when reading reports from Iraq -
PressTV-Iraqi PM vows full success in Fallujah
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has hailed an ongoing military operation against Daesh Takfiri group in west of the country, saying Iraqi troops will soon seize full control of the town of Fallujah in the Anbar Province.

“God willing, the operations will end with the full liberation of Fallujah,” Abadi said Monday during a visit to a military command center, adding, “The enemy has started to collapse and our brave fighters are pounding Daesh hideouts continuously.”

Earlier in the day, Iraqi fighter jets carried out bombardments on positions of Daesh in central districts of Fallujah while troops approached the northern suburb of Garma. Residents said clashes first erupted in southern outskirts of Fallujah in al-Hayakil area.

“Big achievements have been made … it is going on successfully, thank God,” Abadi added.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/230520161
Iraqi military forces managed to push Islamic State (ISIS) militants back from agricultural areas outside of Fallujah on Monday as they began their military operation to retake that city.

AFP cited First Lt. Ahmed Mahdi Salih of the federal police forces participating in the battle, who said that fighting was also taking place around Garma, a town east of Fallujah which the militants are using as a supply line.

The operation is commanded by Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab Al Saadi who pointed out that a tough terrain, the risk of civilian casualties and the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ISIS has planted in the city are obstacles to a swift victory, which is why they will begin the offensive by surrounding and bombarding ISIS positions.

The Iraqi military and federal police forces are backed by Sunni tribesmen and a coalition of Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militiamen along with US coalition air support.

While Iraqi military and paramilitary forces have had the city encircled for over a year this is their first serious attempt to force the militants from the city.
(over a year! WTF! So they will shell the city until it's ruble then advance.)
 
http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/security-forces-advance-nuaimiya-south-fallujah/
The Commander of Fallujah Operations, Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab al-Sa’adi, said on Monday, that the security forces had managed to advance into the area of Nuaimiya south of the city of Fallujah, while pointed out that those troops arrived in the area of the al-Tufaha Bridge.

Sa’adi said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The security forces were able, today, to enter the area of Nuaimiya south of Fallujah,” pointing out that, “Those forces arrived at the al-Tufaha Bridge.”

He also added, “The security forces continue to advance into their specific targets.”
http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/source-isis-imposes-curfew-fallujah-shut-bridges/

On Monday, an informed source in the city of Fallujah said, that the so-called ISIS imposed a curfew in the city, while pointed out that the ISIS militants shut down all the bridges in the city using concrete blocks.

Majid al-Juraisi, a tribal leader in the city of Fallujah, said in a brief statement obtained by IraqiNews.com, “The ISIS announced the imposition of a curfew in the city,” noting that, “The city’s bridges have been shut down with concrete blocks.”

Juraisi added, “The bombing of the security forces is concentrated on the center of Fallujah, specifically, in the neighborhoods of al-Naziza, Ta’ash. Naomah and al-Julan,” calling those forces to “not bomb the areas that are being populated.”
 
Iran commander Qassem Suleimani reportedly leading Fallujah war plans
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/240520164
Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds force who exercises immense influence in Iraq, has reportedly been laying out military plans for the recapture of Fallujah from the Islamic State (ISIS).

The Al-Masdar news website reported that “General Qassem Suleimani has been deployed to spearhead and finalize the Iraqi Army’s campaign to capture Fallujah from the Islamic State.”

Iraqi forces, together with the Iranian-backed Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militia and Sunni tribal forces, reported good progress in the offensive on Fallujah on Tuesday, two days after the operation was launched Sunday with air support by the US-led coalition.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/240520163
Iraqi forces, together with Shiite and Sunni militia fighters began an offensive on Sunday against ISIS in Fallujah, 70 kilometers west of Baghdad and the first city occupied by the militants when they stormed across Iraq in June 2014.

"The Garma district and a vast majority of villages surrounding Fallujah were recaptured from ISIS with help from tribesmen and Iraqi fighter jets," a source from the Anbar media office said.

Iraqi soldiers reported good progress and prayed they would reach Fallujah without casualties.

“This morning we made some advances toward Fallujah. Our infantry vehicles destroyed some ISIS hideouts and killed a large number of militants,” a soldier told Rudaw, adding that fleeing families were arriving at Iraqi lines at night.

“God willing, the advance will take place without casualties till we get to Fallujah,” another soldier said. “Fallujah is over there, only kilometers away. In a matter of hours we will announce its liberation from ugly ISIS,” he added, confirming that between 50-55 families trapped in Fallujah had made it behind Iraqi lines.
 
Multiple fronts! - While the Fallujah assault goes on - Syrian Kurdish and rebel forces begin assault on ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/24052016 - going from the video it's the usual mix of Toyata pick-ups with or without anti-aircraft guns and 2 tanks. I hope they've got more because that does n't seem a lot.
"Fighters of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday began a massive three-pronged offensive on Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, one of the groups said.

"Today our forces headed to Raqqa," after they successfully launched operations from the town of Ein Issa in Girespi, said a source from the SDF.

He added that US-led coalition warplanes were taking part in the operation.

"Our forces will be advancing to the villages of Fatse Big, Fatse Small and Tishi, in order to clear them of ISIS militants first," the source said.

He added that the main target is to liberate Raqqa from ISIS, "as has been demanded by the people of the city several times."

ISIS has reportedly laid a myriad of booby traps and bombs around Raqqa, in anticipation of an offensive.

The assault comes as Iraqi forces were reportedly moving closer to the town of Fallujah west of Baghdad on Tuesday, following an offensive that began on Sunday. Fallujah is the first city that fell to ISIS in June 2014."

http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/violent-clashes-break-security-forces-isis-northern-fallujah/
contact! "A security source in Anbar Province announced on Tuesday, that violent confrontations and clashes broke out between the security forces and ISIS members in northern Fallujah.

The source said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “This morning, violent confrontations and clashes broke out between the security forces, al-Hashd al-Shaabi and ISIS in al-Saqlawiya vicinity in northern Fallujah.”

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added, “The confrontations and clashes are still ongoing until now.”"
 
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First casualties reported ... oh, and be nice to the prisoners.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/25052016
"Any Iraqi or foreign (ISIS) militant taken captive should be handed over to the Hashd al-Shaabi security department or, if wounded, should be rushed to the nearest medical center to receive treatment," read a statement issued by Hashd al-Shaabi command.

"No hostages should be tortured and they should be questioned and investigated by Iraqi courts," the statement said.

The regulations are meant to quell concerns about past instances of the Iranian-backed militia unleashing acts of revenge and looting whenever they were involved in fighting with the Iraqi Army to liberate Sunni-dominated regions.

The joint forces pushing toward Fallujah have so far reported good progress in the offensive, which began Sunday. But at least 15 civilians and 35 Iraqi forces and militiamen have been reported killed.
 
Water and return of The Golden Divison ...
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/250520161
Iraqi security forces and allied militias fighting to liberate Fallujah from the Islamic State reported substantial advances on Wednesday, saying they had cleared ISIS from more than a dozen areas, in operations in which 163 militants were killed.

Shakir Jawdat, an Iraqi Federal Police commander, said that 168 explosives and 22 car bombs planted by the militants to slow down the advance had been safely detonated before they could cause casualties.

Sixteen areas on the outskirts of Fallujah were cleared of the militants and advancing forces were nearing Fallujah’s eastern gate, Qasm Araji, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's security and defense committee, told Rudaw late Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, a large police force from Anbar that was trained by the international coalition was deployed in western Fallujah, squeezing the militants from at least two fronts.

"Following fierce confrontations with the militants in nearby areas around Fallujah, the joint Iraqi forces successfully took control of many districts,” Araji confirmed.

“The Iraqi forces used a new military tactic for the first time, flooding the southern parts of Fallujah with water in order to clear them of landmines and bombs planted by ISIS," Araji said. "This tactic helped open a large corridor for our forces and defeated ISIS’ frontline positions.”

Araji said that the Iraqi Army’s elite Golden Division had been air dropped by helicopter on the old Fallujah bridge, cutting off the city’s two Saqlawa and Andalus neighborhoods and taking control of ISIS arms depots there.
 
booby-trapping officer?!
http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/security-forces-kill-isis-commander-khalidiya-island-anbar/
The Head of Khalidiya District Council in Anbar Province, Ali Dawood, announced on Thursday, that the security forces and tribal fighters had advanced in Albu Bali area in Khalidiya Island, while pointed out to the killing of two ISIS leaders in the area.
Dawood said in a brief statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “The security forces and tribal fighters advanced in Albu Bali area in Khalidiya Island (23 km east of Ramadi).”

Dawood added, “The security forces managed to kill the so-called ISIS commander of Khalidiya Island Abu Maaz and ISIS booby-trapping officer Abu Mostafa.”
 
http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/al-hashed-al-shaabi-forces-will-stay-outside-fallujah-says-warren/
On Thursday the international coalition spokesman Steve Warren announced, that al-Hashed al-Shaabi forces will stay outside the city of Fallujah and will not enter it, while pointed out that the Iraqi security forces and Sunni fighters are the only forces that will enter the city.

Warren said in a press interview followed by IraqiNews.com, “The Sunni fighters and Iraqi forces will enter the city of Fallujah,” indicating that, “The Shiite fighters (al-Hashed al-Shaabi) will stay outside the city.”
http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/w...lujah-soon-participation-4000-sunni-fighters/
Steve Warren said in an interview obtained by IraqiNews.com, “The international coalition aviation targeted 30 headquarters belonging to ISIS in the city of Fallujah during the liberation operations,” noting that, “ISIS used shells and improvised explosive devices against the security forces.”

Warren added, “The security forces moved toward Fallujah and will enter it soon,” indicating that, “4,000 Sunni tribal fighters will participate in the liberation battles of the city.”
(Since "Iran commander Qassem Suleimani reportedly (is) leading Fallujah war plans" - I don't hold out much hope for the Shia militia sitting and watching the Sunnis take all the glory )
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/270520162
“We’ve killed more than 70 enemy fighters, including Maher al-Bilawi, who is the commander of ISIL forces in Fallujah,” said Colonel Steve Warren, spokesman for the US campaign against ISIS. (no news on Iraqi casualties note)
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/27052016
Speaking on state television alongside Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who was wearing the black uniform of Iraq's elite counter-terrorism unit, Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the Badr Organization, said the first phase of the operation to retake Fallujah is nearly complete. (WTF?! PM dressed as elite soldier? A gal cann't resist a man in uniform ...)
PressTV-Iraqis flee Fallujah amid liberation op
Meanwhile, Iraqi forces destroyed the terrorist group’s telecommunications center and two bomb-laden cars in al-Jisr area in northern Fallujah, killing at least four Daesh terrorists in the process.

Separately, Oday al-Khidran, a commander of the Popular Mobilization units fighting alongside Iraqi security forces, said on Friday that they discovered the largest Daesh-dug tunnel network connecting different neighborhoods of Fallujah. He said the terror group used the tunnels to minimize its losses and protect its front lines.

(tunnels ... mmm .... back to 'Nam folks)
 
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Oops! http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/270520161
IS are bad but those protesters are really something! -
Abadi orders Fallujah troops to Baghdad as protesters clash with security forces
Clashes erupt as protesters tried to enter Baghdad’s Green Zone and were blocked by security forces.

According to Rudaw’s correspondent, security forces are trying to disperse the protesters using tear gas. Two protesters have been reported wounded so far.

Rudaw’s Bahman Hassan added that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered Iraqi forces to return to Baghdad from an area near Fallujah.
 
Phase two ... ? or more of the same?
http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/iraqi-forces-starts-second-phase-fallujah-liberation-operations/
The leadership of al-Hashed al-Shaabi in Anbar Province announced on Saturday, that the Iraqi security forces launched the second phase of Fallujah liberation operations to free the city from the so-called ISIS control.

The leadership of al-Hashed al-Shaabi said in a brief statement received by IraqiNews.com, “This morning the second phase of the liberation operations of the city of Fallujah was started from the western axis towards Saqlawiyah vicinity,” adding that, “The security forces moved towards the village of al-Bakra and al-Shohada neighborhood in Saqlawiyah in northern Fallujah.”
 
robert99 said:
So they will shell the city until it's ruble then advance
Click to expand...
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/280520164
Due to the extensive bombardment, residents of Fallujah are burying their dead family members in the garden, an Iraqi official announced Saturday.

“Fallujah is under a massive bombardment without differentiating between civilians or ISIS,” said Abdulqadir Jumayli, media advisor of Anbar provincial council. “The bombardment has made it impossible for the people to reach the graveyard, forcing them to bury the dead in the garden,” Jumayli added.

Jumayli asked the security forces to stop the bombardment in order to save the lives of the civilians.

Shiite militias have randomly bombarded the city, killing some 32 civilians and wounding another 50.
The US-led coalition is aiding the Iraqi Army and has killed 70 militants in airstrikes on the city, including the group’s leader in Fallujah.
 
Concerns for 50,000 civilians trapped in Falluja - BBC News
There is growing concern for the fate of an estimated 50,000 civilians trapped in the centre of Falluja in Iraq.

The Iraqi government claims that it had made some advances since the start of its campaign to drive militants from the city of Falluja, but many are still stuck.

Jim Muir, who's been embedded with the attacking Iraqi forces, reports from near Falluja. See video
 
You fight IS, you're with the Iranians ... wait a minute, who are the bad guys here?
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/w...on&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0
On the outskirts of Falluja, tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers, police officers and Shiite militiamen backed by Iran are preparing for an assault on the Sunni city, raising fears of a sectarian blood bath. Iran has placed advisers, including its top spymaster, Qassim Suleimani, on the ground to assist in the operation.

The battle over Falluja has evolved into yet another example of how United States and Iranian interests seemingly converge and clash at the same time in Iraq. Both want to defeat the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. But the United States has long believed that Iran’s role, which relies on militias accused of sectarian abuses, can make matters worse by angering Sunnis and making them more sympathetic to the militants.

While the battle against the Islamic State straddles the borders of Iraq and Syria, the United States has approached it as two separate fights. In Syria, where the government of Bashar al-Assad is an enemy, America’s ally is the Kurds.

But in Iraq, where the United States backs the central government, and trains and advises the Iraqi Army, it has been limited by the role of Iran, the most powerful foreign power inside the country.

That United States dilemma is on full display in Falluja as the fighting intensifies.
 
Iraq troops in 'final assault' on Islamic State in Falluja - BBC News
According to the BBC the real assault on Fallujah has begun -
State forces including members of an elite counter-terrorism unit are moving into the city on several fronts, an official statement said.

IS forces are reportedly fighting back with suicide attacks and car bombings.

But while the military said it was advancing towards its goals, so far the fighting seems to be centred on IS defences outside Falluja's city limits, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says.

Militia leaders taking part have said there is likely to be a pause before the assault on the city centre begins to allow civilians to escape.
(we await the gruesome videos and photographs ... I don't see how the US "advisors" will be kept out of this - especially when it's street fighting and house to house)
Iranian Press-tv reports same PressTV-Iraqi forces enter Daesh-held Fallujah
 
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