Fighters from so-called Islamic State (IS) have continued to pursue counterattacks on the edges of Ramadi a week after the city was recaptured by Iraqi troops. He says a major offensive to clear the remainder of the provincial capital is on hold due to the bad weather.
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The incredible incident happened during the battle for Ramadi in Iraq last week and the staff sergeant was part of a small team of British special forces who have been advising the Iraqi army.
An unidentified source toldthe Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency the extremist group sent six “suicide vehicles” followed by fighters wearing explosive belts to an Iraqi compound in north Ramadi on Friday.
After they reached army positions, the men were separated from the women and children and taken away – 76 from among the 400 or so people housed at Habbaniyah, according to Iraqi officials. The government forces suffered no deaths or injuries.
Warren said at a recent briefing that months of daily strikes against the group, which the Iraqi government has lost half of the territory it took in 2014, are paying off.
Iraq’s Defence Ministry said Islamic State has stepped up suicide blasts in response to setbacks in Ramadi. We got in touch with each other and left all together at seven in the morning.
“I think everyone should understand – the Americans, the outside world and the Iraqi government – that if they want to get rid of ISIS, they have to help the local Sunnis do it”, says Nuri. “There’s got to be a lot of other bases taken for the Iraqi security forces to go north”.
“They treated us like prisoners, she said”. He said his family had hated living under the militants. They decided to make a run for it.
The militants took the tows of Perawan and Baghdadi near Haditha and Hit on Sunday only to be driven out hours later by local tribal forces backed up by the Iraqi security.
In the document, the militants said it targeted “trainers from the rejectionist army”, a term used by the Sunni insurgents to describe Shiite Muslims.
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There was “extensive destruction in the city as a result of terrorist activity and military operations” said Ibrahim al-Osej, a member of the Ramadi district council.
