11 June 2014

Starting with Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salahuddin Governorate, ISIL gunmen have entered the city today and taken full control. The initial penetration came from the city's eastern side from which they spread out and took control of the entire city. As we speak, the gunmen have seized the holding jail in the city and have released all the prisoners being held there.

Meanwhile in Ramadi and Fallujah, Ramadi's residential districts are relatively calm but there have been some intermittent clashes in the city's southern sector after the gunmen were able to regain control of several districts there. Elsewhere, some residents have been returning to their relatively calm districts. A similar calm has also settled over the city's northern districts.

In Fallujah, a medical source has announced that 4 residents have been killed and 6 others wounded as a result of the resumption of shelling since last night, through noontime today. More mass migrations are underway in Fallujah as a result of the continuing military operations in the city.

In Al-Garma, northeast of Fallujah, has been under heavy shelling since last night and through noontime today.

In Hit township, a curfew has been in effect since last night after reports indicated that the gunmen are planning to seize control of the township, as has taken place in Nineveh and Salahuddin Governorates. However, security forces have announced today that they have thwarted that attempt on Hit.

In Anbar's western regions along the boundary with Salahuddin, stringent security measures are being adopted in order to foil any attempt at repeating what took place in Ramadi and Fallujah which fell to the gunmen.

With regard to the conference that is to be held on June 20th, a preparatory committee has been formed by the Anbar local government, and invitations have been issued to a large number of religious and tribal figures to attend the conference in Baghdad.

Another conference will take place in the middle of next week, and is described as being in preparation for the Baghdad conference and will be held in Ramadi. The aim is to agree on the issues that will be presented to the central government.

The armed groups now appear to be preparing to expand their operations after seizing Tikrit in order to take control of broader regions that are still being held by security forces, but official sources are all confirming that Tikrit is now totally under the control of the gunmen, and that all military, security, and police forces have withdrawn, leaving behind their weapons and equipment. These have been taken over by the gunmen who have also burned down many of the police stations and security vehicles in the area they now control.