22 May 2014

In Fallujah, yesterday's two-front military offensive - from the south and northeast of the city - was thwarted by the gunmen's fierce resistance in battles that lasted for more than six hours. The security forces - mainly the Iraqi army - turned to the heavy shelling of many of the city's residential districts, resulting in 7 civilians killed and 5 others wounded, according to the Fallujah General Hospital.

In Ramadi, a major military operation has been underway since last night in the city's southern sector. The security forces are still saying that they are advancing toward the sector's farther reaches; a source at the Anbar police command has stated that the operation will be completed within one week, allowing residents to return to their homes.

Regarding the displaced persons situation, there are still some residents moving out of Fallujah; today, more than 200 families have left the city and made their way to Habbaniya, northeast of Ramadi. They are facing difficult living conditions, as there is no food aid being provided by either the central or local governments. The limited amount of available aid is not enough to provide for the 400 -  600 thousand displaced within Anbar governorate, while others have made their way to Baghdad, Kurdistan, and even out of Iraq.