19 August 2014

A short time ago the Anbar Provincial Council and the security authorities announced the start of the second phase of security operations to liberate the areas in Ramadi's northwestern sector, following the liberation of the rural areas outside the city. Today's reports have indicated that the Anbar Police Commander, in cooperation with the tribal sheikhs, would seek to liberate further territory, after having killed at least 7 gunmen and burned a number of the vehicles that have been used by the gunmen during the clashes in those areas.

Significantly, an announcement in Haditha tells of the formation of fighting platoons by the tribes and supported by the local government with weapons and munitions in order the extend the reach of these groups following their successes in turning back the gunmen's attacks aimed at seizing Haditha.

In Fallujah, 5 residents have been reported killed and 11 wounded by the bombardment of numerous residential districts in the city, especially the central and north-ventral districts.

In Al-Garma, 2 residents were killed and 3 were wounded when a home within the town was targeted.

The local government, following the big demonstrations by large numbers of displaced persons, has demanded the disbursement of the funds already allocated - amounting to one million Iraqi dinars for each displaced family, and that the payments need to be made before the approval of the budget by the Parliament, a process that has long been delayed. Most of the displaced families have spent the last 8 months as refugees, either within or outside Anbar Province.

The main townships and areas in western Anbar are still relatively quiet under the control of the armed groups. There has not been any recent military activity in those areas.