Iraq’s government forces on Tuesday dislodged the Islamic State (IS) group from two northern neighbourhoods of Fallujah as an Iraqi military commander claimed the month-long offensive to recapture the city had left 2,500 IS militants dead.
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Most of the displaced have been provided shelter to Ameriyat al Falluja town which is 30 kilometers south of Falluja and the camps here are now full. That evening Brig. Gen. Haider al-Obedi, with Iraq’s special forces, told The Associated Press his troops controlled 80 percent of the city.
A report released earlier by the U.S. revealed at least 85,000 people have been forced to flee Falluja and those who are still in the city to face shortages of food, electricity, medicine and safe drinking water too.
Iraqi forces pushed into the center of Fallujah on Friday, retaking a government complex and the central hospital.
The incident in Fallujah is not the first time ISIS fighters have been caught cross-dressing to mix in with civilians fleeing territory they are about to lose. Daesh, outlawed in many countries including Russian Federation, has been in control of the city since 2014. With aerial support from the US -led coalition, Iraqi Special Forces took control of the neighbourhoods of al-Shurta and al-Jughaifi, said Special Forces’ Brig. Shiite militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Force, remained outside Fallujah and have not taken part in the recent battles.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory in Fallujah last week after the national flag was raised above the main government compound.
The aid group, which runs displacement camps around Fallujah, said another 32,000 people had already been displaced since the start of the government offensive against the IS bastion almost a month ago.
United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said “people escaping Fallujah are in desperate need of assistance” and need urgent help “before this situation becomes a humanitarian catastrophe”.
The U.S. State Department announced an additional $20 million in aid to UNHCR in response to appeals for emergency needs in Fallujah.
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Around 3.4 million people have since been forced from their homes by conflict across the country.
