13 December 2014

The Anbar Provincial Council held an emergency meeting today, during which it unanimously voted to relieve the Governor, Ahmed Khalaf Al-Dulaimi, of his administrative duties and sent him into retirement, for health-related reasons. The names of three candidates for the post were put forward, to be voted on tomorrow or the next day. The three candidates are Dr. Jassim Al-Halbousi, Engineer Arkan Khalaf Al-Tarmouz, and Suhaib Al-Rawi.

In western Ramadi, ISIL gunmen have seized control of the Wafa'a region, and they have now surrounded large numbers of army personnel and tribal fighters in the extreme western Ramadi area.

An ISIL gunman driving a Hummer detonated the vehicle near a military barrack in southwestern Ramadi. Three security personnel were killed and 16 others were wounded in the blast.

In Haditha, security forces have detonated a booby-trapped vehicle as it attempted to enter the town' s southern entrance. The attacker was also killed by security forces, but there were no civilian or security casualties.

Clashes have intensified today in Ramadi's southern sector following yesterday's ISIL attempts to advance into the southern districts.

There was also a broad security operation yesterday in Baghdadi by ISIL forces in the town's periphery where the Ayn Al-Asad military base is located. However, security forces supported by tribal fighters successfully repelled the gunmen.

In Hit, the situation remains unchanged, with security forces surrounding the town and unable to penetrate into the town.

In Fallujah, a large number of mortar rounds fell on the city yesterday, killing 3 civilians, one of whom was a child, and wounding 9 others.

The humanitarian situation in Anbar is at its worst, with many parts of the province surrounded and blockaded, and ISIL preventing any food supplies into these areas. Sources indicate that many people, particularly children and the elderly, are dying because of food, milk, and medical shortages.