In Fallujah, gunmen
have succeeded in seizing the Al-Maftoul crossing which is the only access
point into and out of Fallujah. It had been under the control of Iraqi forces,
but after violent clashes yesterday the gunmen succeeded this morning in
capturing the crossing. They have removed the concrete barriers and are now
operating the crossing.
Within Fallujah, the
northeastern areas of the city were the scene of intermittent clashes,
especially in Al-Sichir and along the Baghdad
highway.
A source at the Fallujah General Hospital
In Al-Garma, northeast
of Fallujah, shelling has been continuous since last night and into this
morning. The targeted districts have also been the scene of fierce clashes between
military forces and the gunmen inside the town.
In Ramadi, a local
government official announced today that an extended meeting between the Anbar governor and
security commanders in Anbar. The meeting centered on altering the situation
from its present defensive mode into an offensive mode, in order to re-establish
control over all of Ramadi. Areas outside Ramadi, on Al-Khalidiya Island
In Hit, army engineers
were able to disarm a car bomb that had been parked next to a garage. The other
western regions of Anbar are under strict security measures following confirmed
reports of the gunmen's plans to assault the western towns, along the lines of
what took place in Salahuddin, Nineveh , and some
parts of Kirkuk .
Some units of the
Iraqi army's Border Guards have been withdrawn, in a sudden and surprise move,
from the areas along the border with Syria .
Meanwhile, volunteer
tribal forces have taken up arms and are protecting the border strip against
any infiltration by Iraqis or non-Iraqis.
Generally, citizens
are concerned and afraid that the security situation in Anbar will deteriorate,
in a similar way to what has already happened in the other Iraqi governorates
bordering Anbar.
No comments:
Post a Comment