7 May 2014

The latest developments here in Anbar: 9 mortar rounds have struck the Emergency Room at the Fallujah General Hospital: there were no casualties, but structural damage was heavy. This is the eighth time that mortar fire from unknown sources have hit the hospital which is the only facility that can receive those being injured in the military operations.

The shelling of the city since last night and into this afternoon has killed or injured 53 people, including 45 whose injuries vary in their severity. Most of the dead and injured are women and children.

The Fallujah General Hospital has announced the latest casualty totals since the beginning of the crisis fourth months ago up to today: more than 300 have been killed and 1,332 have been wounded as a result of the fighting.

Heavy clashes have been raging in the southwestern sector of Al-Garma, northeast of Fallujah, and a number of mortar rounds within the town.

South of Fallujah, in the town of Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, mortar fire has killed 2 people and wounded 4 others. Clashes are still ongoing in the area of the water plant in the town beginning with an attempt by gunmen to seize the plant. Strict security measures are in force at the location.

The flooding situation in southern Fallujah and in Abu Ghraib remains critical, with the gunmen still in control of the Fallujah barrage, and with flood waters inundating areas within the Baghdad city limits.

In the western Anbar township of Hit, two car bombs were detonated yesterday. A third attack, by a suicide bomber, targeted the main entrance of the Hit Hospital and killed 4 people and injured 7 others. The township has been completely surrounded and search operations are being carried out, after reports of more car bombs and suicide bombers preparing to launch attacks.

Ballots cast in last week's elections are still being counted at the Baghdad International Fair. Some political bloc representatives are naming alleged winners in the balloting, but the Election Commission in Anbar has denied these claims, stressing that there no final results yet. Everyone is awaiting the results in the hope that they will bring the sought-after changes to Anbar's representation in the Iraqi parliament.