12 September 2014

Ramadi:
Between last night and today, the western area of Ramadi that connects the city to Anbar's western regions and had been controlled by ISIL gunmen has been completely secured. The area is known as the housing compound of Sab'a Kelo ("KIlometer Seven").

Haditha and vicinity:
Security forces are now fully in control of the township on all fronts. Airstrikes yesterday, believed to have been carried out by U.S. warplanes, attacked the gunmen's positions nearby the Haditha Dam on the town's western side. Airstrikes have also struck targets in the western areas of Ana, Rawa, and Qaim. We have not yet obtained any casualty reports concerning that action.

Fallujah:
Aerial bombardment of a number of the city's residential districts continued between last night and this afternoon, killing 7 residents, mostly women and children,  and wounding 13 others.

Garma:
Clashes broke out in the town's southern sector. The Sichir area northeast of Fallujah was also bombarded.

Asma Usama, a female member of the Anbar Council, has called on the Anbar Operations Command and the security forces to stop the bombardment of targets in Ramadi, Fallujah, and Garma. Speaking to RFI, she said:

Usama:  We congratulate the new central government on the assumption of its duties. . . Anbar Governorate, particularly Ramadi and Fallujah,  is being daily subjected to indiscriminate bombardment that has struck hospitals, healthcare centers, and mosques. We have called and are still calling on the central government and the Operations Command to exercise care in these operations by identifying real targets. 'Stray rockets' or 'errant mortar rounds' are daily shedding the blood of innocent young people, women, and children. This bloodshed will not stop while the indiscriminate bombardments continue. We call on the new central government to pay attention to the random bombardments that are being carried out in Anbar. We look forward to good things from this government and call on the ministers and members of parliament to bravely unite in ending these indiscriminate operations.

Migration and other issues:
Local authorities and officials have called for the disbursement of the funds that have been allocated to displaced families, especially since the past 10 months have resulted in a large number of displaced persons; some residents have stated that they have not received any of the funds due to them for more than 3 months.

Meanwhile the situation in Hit, Baghdadi, and Ramadi's environs is relatively calm; the central government is considering the formation of a tribal force to operate in the areas of military operations. The formation of a tribal unit consisting of 3,000 fighters is to be announced in 2 days' time; it will support security forces in the governorate's western regions.

There are also calls to allow students to complete their school year, in the areas where students were unable to complete the school curriculum during the last school year.