5 May 2014

The security situation in Ramadi and Fallujah has escalated today, particularly in Fallujah which yesterday experienced the most violent activity. There has been indiscriminate shelling that lasted many hours of a number of Fallujah's residential districts and the outlying areas to the north and south of the city. Final casualty figures indicate that 15 people were killed, most of whom were women and children, and 7 others were wounded by the shelling.

To the northeast, in Al-Garma, a large number of mortar strikes were targeted at most of the town, in addition to the indiscriminate shelling and aerial bombardment. Reports indicate that 2 people have been killed there and 9 others were wounded.

In Ramadi, violent clashes are still raging in the city's southern sector, while the central, northern, and northeastern sectors are relatively calm, as they have been for about one week.

There are still no reports of preliminary results in the April 30th elections; all of Anbar's ballot boxes have been transported to Baghdad, where political observers are observing the ballot-counting process. Some preliminary results are expected either today or tomorrow.

The flooding that has affected most of Fallujah, Abu Ghraib, and Baghdad's western outskirts remains unchanged with the continued occupation of the Fallujah barrage by gunmen. There are reports of troop concentrations that might be ordered into Fallujah to bring it under government security forces' control.

A humanitarian report has criticized the role of the military, alleging that the army had obstructed the transport of those displaced from their homes, thus exposing them to gunfire. Although there has been no official government response, the report has been welcomed by the civil institutions and the public in general, despite the fact that security forces has denied the allegations. The situation, however, does indicate disorganization on the military's part, by exposing civilians to gunfire and shelling during the past four months.