31 December 2014

In Haditha, where ISIL gunmen have for days been trying to capture the Haditha Dam, the Alous area was once again completely liberated today.

In Baghdadi, the humanitarian situation is critical with the continuing ISIL blockade that has not allowed any food or fuel supplies from reaching the town resulting in a huge rise in the prices of practically everything.

In Ramadi, parts of the Shjariya area of northeastern Ramadi are still being held by the gunmen. Very fierce clashes have been going on there since yesterday evening.

Ramadi city is still relatively calm, especially since the security forces deployed concrete barriers around the ISIL-controlled parts of the city.

In Fallujah, fierce battles have been ongoing in Garma, northeast of the city. Security sources are reporting that at least 55 gunmen have been killed in the fighting which is still in progress at this time. In Fallujah city, bombardment exchanges are continuing; 3 residents have been killed and 7 have been wounded in the residential districts.

Staff General Nawwal Al-Zoba'ee has today been appointed commander of the 5th Division, replacing Staff General Qassem Al-Dulaimi who has been transferred to Anbar Operations.

30 December 2014

In Haditha, ISIL has launched its fifth consecutive attempt to penetrate into the town, but once again the fierce resistance by security forces has turned back the gunmen. In a phone contact the township's municipal leader has confirmed that security forces and tribal forces have thwarted the three-pronged attack: firstly, from the south across the river; the second, from the western areas of Haqlaniya and Birwana; in the third, clashes took place close to the Haditha Dam which ISIL gunmen have been trying to capture for five days, but coalition warplanes intervened, killing 33 of the gunmen, according to Anbar Operations sources.

The gunmen were able to seize partial control of the village of Alous, about 30 km from Haditha.

In Baghdadi, ISIL forces have cut all the bridges linking the eastern and western sectors of the town, after having seized 14 villages on the town's outskirts. Security sources have reported that coalition airstrikes have struck ISIL targets in the area.

In Fallujah, a medical source has confirmed that, between yesterday and this afternoon, 9 residents have been killed and 18 others wounded by random mortar fire during the continuing bombardment exchanges between the gunmen inside the city and security forces surrounding it. The mortar fire struck many of the city's residential districts, leaving women and children among the casualties. As 2014 draws to a close, there have been more than 5,000 casualties, killed or injured by the continuous bombardments in Fallujah.

In Ramadi, the city's residential districts have been relatively calm. In the rural areas around the city, security forces say that they have re-taken control of about 80% of those areas.

25 December 2014

A security source at the Anbar Operations Command announced today that coalition warplanes have carried out a number of sorties and have attacked ISIL positions along the Iraqi-Syrian border. The source reported that at least 35 ISIL gunmen were killed. Military operations are now underway at the Iraqi-Jordanian border crossings, to prevent the gunmen from infiltrating into Iraq via Syrian territory.

In Baghdadi, security forces today launched a major operation aimed at liberating the rural areas across the river from the town. The forces are reported to have advanced and have killed at least 7 gunmen in the area.

In Hit and its surrounding areas, ISIL gunmen attempted today to seize control of the rural areas across the river from Hit (Kubaisa, Al-Dulab, and other riverside areas). Security forces supported by tribal fighters have been able to repel the attack.

In Ramadi, broad military operations have been underway today, with security sources saying that they have liberated large areas of the city, but they are being hampered by rooftop snipers.

In Fallujah, 7 gunmen were killed in a security forces attack at a bridge linking the city to the main Baghdad-Fallujah highway.

24 December 2014

The Defense Minister, Dr. Khalid Al-Ubaidi, arrived in Anbar last night, making his way to the Ayn Al-Asad Military Base in Baghdadi. He has been supervising the ongoing military operations there since the early hours of this morning. He met with a number of tribal leaders in Baghdadi.

A military operation today, supported by Iraqi aircraft, liberated the Sin Al-Dheeb on the outskirts of the town. Seven ISIL gunmen were killed, according to a military source. Another operation targeted the Jubba village, southwest of Baghdadi, that is still being held by the gunmen. The Anbar local government has announced that these operations are being supervised by U.S. military advisers based at Ayn Al-Asad. Three Apache helicopters have also been deployed against ISIL targets in the area.

In Ramadi, a broad security operation by the Anbar Police Command, supported by army units and tribal fighters has been launched to liberate the only eastern/northeastern areas of Ramadi still controlled by ISIL. 23 gunmen have been reported killed in the fighting.

In Fallujah, intermittent but violent clashes have erupted when ISIL gunmen attempted to attack the area across the main highway. The city's general hospital has reported that 3 residents have been killed, including one child, and seven wounded by the continuing bombardment exchanges.

The new Anbar Governor, Suhaib Al-Rawi, told his fellow citizens in a press statement that the next few days will see the local security and tribal forces supplied with new weapons and munitions, and that new plans have been drawn up for the liberation of Anbar's territory through the cooperation of the central and local governments. Anbar Council sources are reporting that a 50,000-man force will be ready in a few days to combat the ISIL gunmen. Most of the force is composed of local tribal fighters.

23 December 2014

On the political front, the Anbar Council today elected Suhaib Al-Rawi to be the new Anbar Governor, following an urgent meeting in Baghdad. He received 18 of the 30 votes representing the Anbar Council members. He vowed to be at the forefront of Anbar's defendants. He said that the central government in Baghdad will be approached during the coming week to establish a military force to combat ISIL.

In Baghdadi, ISIL has launched a fourth attack in about ten days on several fronts. The attack involved the use of mobile artillery driven by ISIL gunmen and included many heavy military vehicles. However, the attack was confronted by security forces, coalition warplanes, and tribal fighters. Sources have reported that 33 ISIL gunmen were killed in southwestern Baghdadi.

In Ramadi, the last region in northeastern Ramadi still under the gunmen's control has now been completely secured, with the involvement of army forces.

In Fallujah, 13 residents were killed, including women and children, and 7 were wounded in the continuing bombardment exchanges between yesterday and through today.

Meanwhile, ISIL is still preventing food and fuel supplies from reaching the areas it is blockading.

The Anbar Operations Command announced today that at least 130 new U.S. military advisers have arrived in Anbar at the Ayn Al-Asad military camp in Baghdadi in order to prepare new plans for retaking control of the province.

22 December 2014

ISIL tried once again today to seize Baghdadi, including the Ayn Al-Asad Base. The attack was launched from the west, but coalition warplanes, security forces, and tribal fighters were able to repel the attack, killing at least 13 of the ISIL gunmen.

In a simultaneous attack from the north and northeast, clashes are ongoing, including mortar attacks on some of the town's residential districts. Four civilians have been wounded and there has been significant structural damage.

In Haditha, there was also an ISIL attempt to penetrate into the town. A suicide bomber was killed as he tried to drive his booby-trapped vehicle into the town from the southwest.

In Hit, ISIL gunmen are still in control of the town. Security forces on the town's perimeter tried to assault the town from the south; there were clashes in the area, and coalition warplanes struck some of the gunmen's positions in the area. Security sources say that at least 33 gunmen were killed.

In Ramadi, the city has been relatively calm today, except for the ongoing clashes in its southern sector. There were also fierce battles in the rural areas to the north, as gunmen tried to once again re-take areas that have recently been liberated by security forces. In western Ramadi, it was announced today that the ISIL commander there, Abu Abdullah Al-Saddawi, has been killed.

In Fallujah, 4 residents were killed and 11 were wounded yesterday by the ongoing bombardment exchanges between security forces surrounding the city and the ISIL gunmen within it.

20 December 2014

ISIL gunmen today attempted to assault the Baghdadi township west of Hit, where the Ayn Al-Asad military base is located. The gunmen did enter the areas around Baghdadi and into its southern sector where they seized a number of buildings and several vital positions. Coalition warplanes struck the bridge between Baghdadi and an outlying village in order to prevent the gunmen from crossing into Baghdadi. An officer of the 7th Division was killed in the heavy fighting. A source at the Anbar Command announced that French warplanes had taken part in attacking the gunmen's positions around Baghdadi and toward Hit. In other clashes, security forces killed 12 ISIL gunmen.

The gunmen also tried to seize the Malahma village in Al-Khalidiya, northeast of Ramadi. The gunmen did manage to advance a few kilometers into the area, and clashes and bombardment are  continuing.

In Falluja, the bombardment exchanges have killed one civilian and wounded 4 others in the city's residential districts.

18 December 2014

In Haditha township, an ISIL 36-vehicle convoy attempted to penetrate into the town, but coalition warplanes attacked the convoy, killing most of the ISIL gunmen.

Meanwhile a clash at Haditha's southern entrance at Haqlaniya erupted when ISIL gunmen attacked, only to be faced by fierce resistance. The Haditha Municipal leader, Abdul-Hakeem Al Jughaifi, has stated that the gunmen were trying to reach the Haditha Dam, but this was also thwarted by coalition airstrikes. He also warned that the attempt was planned to seize the dam and blow it up.

In Ramadi, the southern districts are relatively calm, but there were heavy clashes in the city's northeastern sector. The gunmen had seized some parts of the area and laid mines along the access routes into the area. Military engineers assisted by local tribesmen have now cleared the mines. Explosives had also been planted at a number of mosques, but a major effort is underway to defuse those explosives.

Meanwhile Iraqi air support has killed three ISIL commanders in those areas.

In Fallujah, the level of clashes between security forces outside the city and ISIL gunmen within it has escalated. The city's general hospital announced today that 4 residents have been killed and 11 wounded, most of whom were women and children.

In Baghdadi which is still completely blockaded, reports say that U.S. military officers and advisers are helping, from the Ayn Al-Asad Base, in advising the security forces. Meanwhile, 3 small children have died because there is no more baby milk available in the town.

16 December 2014

The Ramadi General Hospital announced today that it has received the dead bodies of small children who had been making their way on foot out of the Wafa'a district of western Ramadi into the surrounding desert areas, fleeing the ISIL presence there.

Sheikh Na'eem Al-Gu'oud, told RFI by phone that more than 5,000 Bu-Nimr tribal members are now surrounded by ISIL gunmen in the villages west of Ramadi, all the way to Hit. The gunmen are preventing anyone from entering or leaving those areas.

Sheikh Raf'i Abdul-Karim Al-Fahdawi, the leader of the Bu-Fahd tribe and the leader of the Anbar Awakenings, has confirmed that the weapons that have been received to arm the tribal fighters are defective.

Meanwhile in Haditha, an ISIL attack on the town is reported to have been repelled and a number of the gunmen have been killed, according to an Anbar Police source. A would-be suicide bomber was killed as he tried to penetrate into the township from the south.

The Police Commander also announced today that Ramadi is fully under the control of the security forces, denying all the rumors about the alleged ISIL advances into the city's districts. But security sources are saying that clashes have taken place in the city's southern districts.

Also today, an ISIL military commander and their Emir in western Ramadi, was killled in the 7km district. However, his name and nationality are still unknown.

In Fallujah, the general hospital announced today that at least 4 residents have been killed and 7 wounded, mostly women and children.

A broadly-based tribal meeting was held today in Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, to review the overall situation, especially the security situation. It renewed calls on the central government to provide the township with arms and ammunition, as it is being subjected daily to attempts by ISIL gunmen to overrun the town.

15 December 2014

In Baghdadi, ISIL forces have launched a three-front assault from the western, eastern, and northwestern fronts. The gunmen advanced into the areas around the town and seized a number of villages. However, Iraqi and coalition air support was able to delay the advance. Hundreds of mortar rounds have struck the town's residential districts, causing many residents to rush towards the remotest parts of the town. Meanwhile the gunmen are still blockading the town and are not allowing any food or fuel supplies into it.

In Ramadi, clashes and broad military operations have been underway, particularly in the Hawz district which is still being held by ISIL, and in the other southern sector districts. Details of the fighting are still unavailable.

The Anbar Police Commander, Gen. Kadhum Al-Fahdawi, confirmed today that ISIL forces have been trying during the past few days to make inroads into Ramadi; he also confirmed that more than 100 ISIL gunmen have been killed in the central districts of the city.

In Fallujah, mortar fire is still hitting a number of the city's districts.

In Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, in southernmost Anbar, ISIL gunmen have attempted to penetrate into the town, but they were confronted by fierce resistance by the defending tribal forces.

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.

11 December 2014

Local police supported by army and security forces today launched a major military operation to assault Hit, but ISIL forces controlling the town responded with fierce resistance. The commander of a special forces regiment of the 7th Brigade, Brigadier Haytham Al-Juburi was killed in the fighting, as were at least 10 security forces personnel. Anbar Command sources also say that 53 ISIL gunmen were also killed. In this first attempt to penetrate into Hit, the joint forces were unable to advance into the town, but were able to tighten their positions along the town's perimeter.

Fierce clashes and battles took place today in Ramadi, in the rural tribal areas where the gunmen detonated a booby-trapped Hummer at a position close to the 6th Brigade in western Ramadi. A number of security personnel were killed by the blast which was followed by violent clashes. Brigadier Ihsan Ahmed, commander of the Rapid Response Regiment of the 8th Brigade in Ramadi, was killed when he attempted to advance into the northeastern sector of the regiment which is still surrounded by ISIL gunmen on its southern and western flanks.

Also today, ISIL forces tried to re-take large areas of the southern Hawz district and its adjacent districts. The security forces were able to partially repel the attack, but ISIL forces have achieved some advances into the area.

In Garma today, and since last night, has been the scene of the most violent clashes to date in many of its districts. We have no information regarding the progress or outcome of the clashes, which are still ongoing.

In Fallujah, a General Hospital source confirmed today that 3 residents have been killed and 7 have been wounded by mortar fire on the city's residential districts. 

10 December 2014

At 7:00 am this morning, ISIL forces launched an attack on the government complex in central Ramadi, but a source at the Anbar Police Command has announced that the attack was repelled and that 8 gunmen have been killed, including 3 Arab nationals.

At 13:00 today, ISIL forces advanced into and occupied large areas of the Hawz district in southwestern Ramadi. Meanwhile Iraqi air support, security forces, and coalition warplanes have attacked a number of ISIL positions in Ramadi's southern sector. An ISIL sniper, described as probably being an Australian national, was killed and 6 others were wounded.

The rural areas on the opposite side of the Euphrates were also attacked by ISIL forces, but tribal fighters from that area were able to thwart and repel the attack, according to the police source.

In Hit today, security and tribal forces are in complete control of the town's perimeter, and Iraqi aircraft have again struck targets in the town' Industrial District. Sources say that 13 gunmen have been killed in the action.

The Anbar Council has today once again called on the central government to provided arms and ammunition to the tribal fighters, stressing that unless the tribal forces are supplied with what they need this month, ISIL forces will consider that as an opportunity to launch further attacks, particularly in Ramadi.

In Fallujah, Dr. Ahmed Al-Shami, the senior resident at the General Hospital, has stressed that the hospital has not suffered any casualties from the bombardment exchanges, but he once again stressed that the hospital is facing major shortages of medical necessities and medical personnel.

09 December 2014

For the third consecutive day, ISIL gunmen have again attempted to assault and take over the Anbar government complex in Ramadi. The assault came from three directions: north, south, and west. Security forces responded quickly and prevented the gunmen from penetrating the complex's environs. Eight ISIL gunmen have been reported killed in the action.

A second battle took place in the Hawz district with the gunmen attacking and advancing from the north and west, but security forces are still holding some parts of the district and its adjacent districts.

In Hit, security forces are still massively deployed around the town, and reconnaissance flights have been ongoing in apparent preparation for the expected major military operation on the town. The Industrial district in the town, believed to be the location of ISIL workshops producing booby-trapped vehicles and explosive devices, was bombed. The security command says that it needs more than 15,000 fighters in order to assault the town.

In the extreme northwestern Ramadi districts, clashes have been taking place between the gunmen and tribal forces earlier today, Iraqi air sources announced that their aircraft have struck 3 ISIL positions in those areas.

In Fallujah, clashes and bombardment exchanges have been continuing between the security forces on the city's perimeter and the ISIL gunmen still holding the city. The city's general hospital has announced that 2 residents have been killed and 13 wounded.

The humanitarian situation in Anbar has reached its most critical level, following the local government's declaration of bankruptcy. Many parts of the province have ben cut off and isolated by ISIL forces who have been preventing food and fuel from reaching these areas, particularly those that they do not fully control.

There are also critical medicine shortages in the province's hospitals. This is especially the case in Fallujah where the general hospital has declared that it has completely run out of medications.

08 December 2014

The most significant escalation today has been the major attack by ISIL gunmen against the government complex in Ramadi. Security forces, however, absorbed the attack which was launched at 7:00 this morning. By the time the clashes abated this afternoon, security forces had killed at least 22 of the gunmen, while Iraqi air support also struck positions occupied by ISIL forces.

ISIL gunmen have also launched a violent assault on the Hawz district of southwestern Ramadi. The clashes have been going on for more than five hours, with conflicting reports emerging about the actual situation there.

In Fallujah today, a preliminary casualty report indicates that 4 residents have been killed and 11 have been wounded by the ongoing clashes and mortar shells that have struck a number of the city's central and northern districts.

In Hit, security forces are still in control of the town's perimeter, while 14,000 volunteers are being trained at Ayn Al-Asad camp, where U.S. advisers are also present, according to Anbar Council sources.

Activity is increasing in Anbar, aimed at seeking a replacement for the Anbar Governor, Ahmed Al-Dulaimi, who was wounded last month while touring Birwana, near Haditha, and who is still undergoing treatment at a hospital in Amman, Jordan. The selection of a new governor is being thwarted by differences between the various political factions in the Province.

04 December 2014

In Ramadi today, ISIL launched an attack on the southern sector, including the Fast Response Brigade Base in Hawz; security forces supported by tribal fighters repelled the attack but a number of security personnel were wounded, while 8 ISIL gunmen were killed. The clashes spread into other southern districts, but security sources say that they have re-established their control of the area, as Iraqi air support struck ISIL targets, killing at least 13 gunmen, according to the Anbar Command. Some ISIL vehicles and field equipment were also seized.

In the Tharthar area, security forces have been able to retake control of the highway to Baghdad.

In Fallujah, 6 mortar rounds today struck the General Hospital complex; there were no casualties but several hospital buildings were damaged.

In Hit, there are now massive troop concentrations around the town's perimeter, and reports indicate that the major military campaign is on the verge of being launched.

A source at the Anbar Council confirmed today that Iranian warplanes have attacked a number of ISIL positions in the eastern part of the Province.

The Council also affirmed today that Council members and a large number of tribal leaders will travel to Washington, D.C. within the next few days to meet U.S. military leaders and government officials. Among the matters to be agreed upon is the formation of a 'tributary' army consisting of more than 50,000 Anbar volunteers who will combat ISIL following the liberation of Anbar. Some 'Awakenings' leaders have been opposed to the creation of an independent Anbar army, similar to the Peshmarga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan.

03 December 2014

In Kubaysa, at the southernmost part of Hit, coalition warplanes today targeted an ISIL convoy consisting of five vehicles and a fuel tanker. Sources say that at least 45 ISIL gunmen were killed in the raids. Following the raids, there were clashes around the town that is still partially controlled by security forces.

In Ramadi, the three-pronged security operation is ongoing in the western, southern, and northern sectors of the city. Security forces announced today that they have seized control of large areas of those areas, killing at least 56 gunmen, mostly on the northern front.

In Hit, Sheikh Na'eem Gu'oud of the Bu-Nimr clan threatened today that his clan would cease fighting ISIL if the central government in Baghdad does not provide assistance, particularly military assistance, to his tribesmen who have been fighting ISIL for nearly two months.

In Fallujah, an intensification of the clashes and random bombardment exchanges has killed or wounded at least 14 residents.

The areas east of Fallujah along the boundary with Salahuddin Province have been the scene of intermittent clashes. Security sources are saying that the clashes are still continuing.

In Haditha and Baghdadi, final preparations are underway to arm and prepare the tribal volunteer fighters at Ayn Al-Asad military base for the major operation aimed at liberating the whole area around the towns.

02 December 2014

The Anbar Council and the Security Command announced today the start of a military operation on three fronts: the first was in the Hawz and surrounding southern districts of Ramadi; the second was in the city's western sector; and the third was in the city's northern sector. Security sources are reporting that the action has broadened the already ongoing operations in these sectors, and have announced that 23 ISIL gunmen have been killed in a security ambush in the Hawz area. On the northeastern front, security forces stated this afternoon that seven groups of gunmen were targeted and that more than 30 gunmen were killed as a result. Army and security forces have established checkpoints and observation posts in the area.

In Fallujah, the clashes and random bombardment exchanges have, according to the General Hospital, killed at least 7 residents, including 2 women, and wounded at least 13 others. 

In Hit township, security forces have reported that their operations, backed up by Iraqi air support have struck the town's Industrial District where ISIL forces have set up a weapons and equipment repair and production workshop. More than 10 gunmen were killed in the air raids. Meanwhile, forces are still massed around the town where all the surrounding villages have been liberated.

01 December 2014

ISIL gunmen have carried out attacks on a military barracks at the Al-Waleed border crossing with Syria. It is probably the last position that has not been captured by ISIL. Sixteen military personnel have been killed in the attack, including one officer. The position is part of the Rutba township that has beeen uder ISIL control for nearly six months. Iraqi and coalition aircraft have launched airstrikes on the area bordering both Syria and Jordan, targeting the gunmen's positions, with 31 gunmen reported killed.

In Ramadi, security forces announced today that ISIL gunmen have today launched a major surprise attack on three fronts: the first, in the northwestern sector, in an attempt by the gunmen to seize control of the Abu Risha area, but were repelled by tribal fighters who killed 3 of the gunmen; the second attack was on the southern sector in the Hawz district where previous clashes are still ongoing; the third attack was in the eastern sector in the areas along the Euphrates, but the security forces engaged the gunmen in fierce clashes and were able to spread their control and clear the roadside explosive devices on both banks of the river.

In Fallujah, gunfire and bombardment exchanges are continuing, with residential districts being hit indiscriminately. The city's General Hospital has reported that 4 residents have been killed and 11 wounded.

There were also clashes to the east in the areas along the boundary with Salahuddin Province. Coalition warplanes have been involved there but we do not yet have any details. The overall situation indicates an escalation by the security forces trying to recover control of those areas,

In Hit, security forces are still controlling the town's perimeter areas, while families are still evacuating the town following the previously announced intention to launch a major security operation supported by tribal forces, in order to liberate Hit town.

30 November 2014

The most significant development today has been the security forces' success in clearing and securing the Office of Migration and the Displaced in the southwestern Ramadi district of Hawz. 8 ISIL gunmen were killed in the action. The security forces are now in a position to move into the other districts in the city's southern sector.

Central Ramadi has ben relatively quiet, but Iraqi aircraft ran a number of low-level sorties over the area. Security forces also succeeded in disarming at least 40 explosive devices in the Sufiya area across the Euphrates River. A number of people suspected of having ties with ISIL have been arrested.

In Hit, security forces are still massed around the town, especially on its northern and northwestern areas. The western areas adjacent to the Baghdadi township boundary have now been mostly liberated. The Anbar Operations Command has announced that more than 10,000 tribal volunteers are now receiving training at the Ayn Al-Asad base in preparation for the operation to liberate the whole township.

In Fallujah, clashes and indiscriminate bombardment exchanges are continuing between the ISIL gunmen within the city and the security forces surrounding it. A number of residential districts were hit in the exchanges. One civilian was killed and seven were wounded, but material damage has been severe.

In Garma, clashes are also continuing in most of the town's sectors.

The Anbar Council is still calling for substantial support for the province, particularly following the announcement that the province is now bankrupt.

Meanwhile the townships under ISIL control are still completely blockaded, with nothing being allowed into or out of the areas.

29 November 2014

In Ramadi today, security forces supported by tribal fighters have been able to seize control of the Hawz district in southwestern Ramadi. Security forces have also confirmed that 13 ISIL gunmen were killed and 3 others captured following the penetration of the security forces into the city'd southern districts.

Also today, security forces have captured one of the most prominent ISIL leaders in the areas across the river from the city. Security sources have also reported that coalition aircraft have launched airstrikes against specific targets in various parts of Ramadi, hitting a number of vital ISIL positions.

Security forces have also announced that will erect concrete barriers around the districts involved in military operations in order to hold on to the ground they liberate.

Security forces supported by tribal forces have taken complete control of the Dulab village and other nearby villages at the extreme western edge of Hit.

The forces have also launched an operation in the north-easternmost sector of Fallujah adjacent to Garma Township where fierce clashes have enabled the security to kill 39 ISIL gunmen.

The situation in Fallujah City remains unchanged, with the usual clashes and bombardment exchanges continuing. A source at the General Hospital has announced that 3 residents have been killed and 7 wounded by the indiscriminate exchanges.

Some tribal sheikhs have today called on the central and local governments to provide the security and tribal forces with what they need, stressing that their fighters, in support of the security forces are advancing on the ground, particularly in Baghdadi Township and in the Ayn Al-Asad military base where more than 5,000 fighters are being trained and equipped to take part in the operation to liberate Hit.

Low temperatures and the severe food and fuel shortages are underlining the constant calls for urgent provisions and relief aid.

27 November 2014

Since the early hours of this morning, the fiercest clashes to date have been raging in Ramadi, between ISIL gunmen who have seized specific parts of the city's southern sector districts.

Security forces were able today to blow up a tank being driven by the gunmen, and 9 other gunmen were killed.

Security forces have also today secured all the environs of the government complex in central Ramadi. Anbar Operations sources are confirming that the area is under their full control. The Operations Command announced today that 3,000 volunteers have been recruited and will be embedded with the security forces during the coming week.

The Anbar Council called again today for the intensification of coalition and Iraqi airstrikes.

Garma has today been the scene of the fiercest clashes for five months. The fighting was concentrated on both the northern and southern outskirts of the town. The bombardment of ISIL positions in the town has killed 3 ISIL leaders, while at least 11 civilians were also killed; according to eyewitnesses, there are no medical personnel at the Garma hospital.

In Hit, an Anbar Operations source has said that at least 45 ISIL gunmen have been killed by the military campaign launched by security forces supported by Iraqi aircraft in the extreme western sector of the town and around the town's perimeter. Security forces have been advising Hit residents to leave the town in advance of the all-out military operation.

On the humanitarian front, it was announced yesterday that at least 18 displaced children have died   as a result of the hardships being experienced by the migrants who have fled from Hit and southwestern Ramadi.

26 November 2014

Ramadi has yesterday and today repelled the most violent attack by ISIL. Yesterday they captured and occupied the Education Directorate building, adjacent to the Anbar provincial government complex. They began attacking the complex from that position, until coalition warplanes launched airstrikes against the position, killing at least 9 of the gunmen and enabling the defenders in repelling the attack on the government complex.

In the southern Hawz district which the gunmen overran yesterday, fierce fighting enabled the security and tribal forces to retake the district and to drive the gunmen towards the southern fringes of the city.

In the other southern city districts, violent clashes are still underway.

Security commanders yesterday held an emergency meeting that included the Defense Minister, the Anbar Operations Commander, the interim Governor, and the Council leader, leading to the formation of a 3,000 -man tribal force - mostly composed of the Bu-Fahad and Bu-Alwan clans - in order to support the security forces in Ramadi.

In Hit, a military operation resulted in the killing of the ISIL field commander in Hit township, Sinan Mit'ib, who is believed to be responsible for the execution and killing of more than 500 members of the Bu-Nimr clan. He was targeted by coalition warplanes at his fortified command post in southwestern Hit. Three of his aides were also killed.

25 November 2014

The most significant development as of this hour today has been the operation launched by ISIL in the center of Ramadi, where the gunmen have seized the Ramadi Education Directorate and are now less than 20 meters away from the government complex that includes the Anbar Council Seat and the other government departments, including the prison and the province's intelligence branch directorates. The fiercest clashes are now underway, following ISIL's seizure of large parts of the city's southwestern districts.

Also this evening, the Anbar Council has issued a plea, saying that the province will fall within 24 hours if the government security forces and the Iraqi air force do not intervene, given that ISIL is the closest it has ever been to the government complex in Ramadi.

Ther were also fierce clashes today around Hit which some have expected to be part of the big operation by the security forces, but these forces are still deployed outside the town and have not penetrated into it.

Baghdadi and the Ayn Al-Asad Base are now the only places where preparations are being made for the campaign to liberate the rest of Anbar.

In Fallujah today, there were also fierce clashes, including indiscriminate bombardment, mortar fire, and gunfire exchanges, especially in the districts alongside the main highway to Baghdad. At least 11 civilians have been killed in the fighting. Mortar rounds have also hit in the vicinity of the city's general hospital, causing material damage but no casualties.

24 November 2014

In the areas around Hit today, Iraqi aircraft dropped large quantities of leaflets, calling on the civilian population to leave the town immediately in preparation for a major military operation in the town. Eyewitnesses are reporting that hundreds of families have been leaving since this morning, making their way to Baghdadi, Haditha, and also toward the capital, Baghdad, and other parts of Iraq.

Also today, security forces have airlifted military equiment to the Ayn Al-Asad military base in Baghdadi, describing the equipment as being sufficient for implementing a military operation to liberate Hit from ISIL forces. The areas around the Fedayee Hit have also been brought under security forces control. Reports from within Hit indicate that large numbers of ISIL gunmen have been fleeing the town following the announcement of the impending operation to liberate the town.

In Ramadi today, fierce clashes have killed 17 gunmen in the Khalidiya sector, northeast of the city. Source are reporting that tribal, especially Bu-Fahad, fighters carried out a security operation that resulted in the arrest of 27 ISIL supporters in that area.

Security forces have today entered the Hawz district and surrounding areas of southern Ramadi. Security forces have been deployed around the government complex in central Ramadi. The situation there is relatively calm, but reports are indicating that two regiments have arrived from Baghdad to launch another military operation in Ramadi aimed at destroying ISIL in Anbar.

The Anbar Council has called today on the Defense Ministry and the Prime Minister to provide the province with quantities of military equipment. Five military aircraft have been allocated to transport the military supplies, as well as well as food relief aid.

In Fallujah, and in response to the gunfire by ISIL fighters, some shells have struck some of the city's residential districts. The General Hospital has reported that 2 residents have been killed and 7 wounded. 

23 November 2014

Security forces today were able to once again take control of an area in Khalidiya, killing 9 ISIL gunmen, while clashes are ongoing in other areas of the sector across the Euphrates from Ramadi. 13 gunmen were captured in the area. Meanwhile, strict security measures are in force throughout Ramadi, including a stringent curfew.

The Anbar delegation met today with Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and secured the government's approval for providing the Province with military equipment and the wherewithal to arm the 3,000 volunteers.

At least 2 regiments of Emergency Forces have been deployed to Amiriyat Al-Fallujah and to the Ayn Al-Asad military base.

Later today, steps were taken to completely surround Hit, in preparation, according to security sources, for an imminent military assault on the town.

22 November 2014

ISIL gunmen today launched an attack on an area adjacent to Sufiya, and on an area of Al-Khalidiya. ISIL gunmen also executed 25 members of the Bu-Fahd clan that is still fighting against ISIL. 90% of the Al-Khalidiya area is now under security and tribal control. Nine snipers on the rooftops of some of the areas taller buildings were killed. Fierce clashes are still underway in Sufiya, northeast of Ramadi, that is still under security forces' control.

Sheikh Raf'i Abdul-Kareem, the leader of the the Bu-Fahd confirmed today that the combined tribal and security forces were able to take control of those areas. He called for help and support and for providing more weapons and munitions from the central government's Defense Ministry.

Coalition aircraft today missed their targets in Hit. Their rockets struck a number of homes, killing five residents and wounding 50 others, mostly women and children. There was also a broad security operation in the areas around Hit, where security forces were able, during the past 24 hours to establish their control. The operations, aimed at relieving the situation in Hit and its surroundings, have driven the gunmen to open a front leading into central Ramadi, but a massive response by the security forces succeeded in repelling the attack.

In Fallujah, exchanges of bombardment and fierce clashes continued today between the security forces outside the city line and the ISIL gunmen within the city.

The Anbar humanitarian situation is now the worst since more than 9 months. All roads have been cut, and it is not possible to enter or leave the residential districts, and residents are worried about the complete absence of food and fuel. The increase in military operations is also threatening to compound the looming humanitarian catastrophe. 

20 November 2014

In Ramadi today, an ISIL suicide bomber detonated himself and his vehicle on the Bu-Farraj Bridge that connects central Ramadi with the northern bank of the Euphrates. The blast killed 6 people: 4 security personnel and 2 civilians, and wounded 7 others.

Three ISIL gunmen were also killed in the central Andalus district of Ramadi when security forces, after two days of fierce clashes, entered the district and are continuing their cleanup operations within the city, according to security sources.

A decisive battle took place today, according to a security source, resulting in the liberation of the Dulab area to the west of Baghdadi and close to Hit township.

The bodies of 3 security personnel were found today in Hit, having been executed by ISIL gunmen. They belong to the Bu-Nimr tribe.

In Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, gunfire exchanges and low-level clashes have enabled security forces to take control of two of the township's districts.

A delegation of Central Euphrates tribal leaders has arrived in Amiriyat Al-Fallujah via Babel Province. They discussed the latest security developments with local leaders.

In Fallujah, 11 residents were wounded, 4 of them seriously, when clashes resumed in two of the city's central districts, amid the ongoing bombardment exchanges.

19 November 2014

In Ramadi today, security forces supported by tribal fighters repelled an attack by ISIL gunmen intending to penetrate into residential districts of the city. The Anbar Operations Command has confirmed that security forces killed 11 gunmen.

Meanwhile security forces in the rural areas across the river in western Ramadi have advanced into the city's western districts, but they still calling for increasing the number of volunteer fighters and providing them with weapons and munitions.

In Baghdadi, 2 security personnel were killed today and 7 were wounded when ISIL gunmen launched an attack from the township's western front. Mortar fire has hit a military barracks at an entry point into the town causing the mentioned casualties.

In Fallujah, gunfire and bombardment are still being exchanged between ISIL gunmen within the city and security forces outside it. The Fallujah General Hospital is reporting that 4 residents have been killed, including a child, and 9 wounded by the exchanges.

In Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, ISIL has attempted to carry out surprise operations against the township, but security forces have succeeded in liberating a village in the southern part of the township, adjacent to Habbaniya.

The Defense Minister has authorized the use of aircraft to airlift relief aid to the beleaguered residents in Anbar. 

17 November 2014

In the village of Jubba in Baghdadi township, two suicide bombers detonated the cars they were driving: one at the bridge linking Jubba to Baghdadi, and the second also in Jubba across from Haditha. The blasts did not cause any casualties but inflicted heavy structural damage. Gunfire erupted following the blasts, with some witnesses saying that the ISIL gunmen were trying to seize the village, one of the few that are still controlled by security forces.

In Ramadi, the level of fighting is escalating in the southern and southwestern sectors of the city, and also in the city western districts. Security forces are still stressing that the liberation of these areas is still in its early stages, but that the aim is to fully liberate them.

In Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, ISIL gunmen have once again tried to seize the whole township, but the security and tribal forces were able to repel the attack. Security sources are saying that at least 12 gunmen were killed in the fighting.

In Fallujah, yesterday was a day of intensive mortar attacks, leaving many, mostly children, killed or wounded. The Fallujah General Hospital was today hit by 6 mortar rounds from an unknown source, with security forces claiming that ISIL gunmen are to blame. Other sources are ascribing blame on the security forces surrounding the city.

16 November 2014

In Haditha township, volunteer registration has begun today at the Jazeera Operations Command for western Anbar.

A broad military operation is under way in Hit township and its smaller towns and villages.

43 captured Bu-Nimr tribal members were librated today from ISIL captivity; they include women and children.

There have been fierce clashes in the areas between Ramadi and Hit. Meanwhile, Anbar Operations and the Anbar Police Commands are affirming that the expected major campaign has not yet begun, and the more than 20,000 fighters will be armed and supplied within the next few days to launch that offensive in hit township.

In Ramadi, clashes have been taking place in the city's southern and southwestern sectors when ISIL gunmen attempted to assault the area, but security and tribal forces have repelled the attack.

In Fallujah and Garma, the situation is relatively calm. Some districts were hit by mortar fire but there were no casualties. 

15 November 2014

In Hit, security and tribal forces have launched a broad security operation which resulted today in the re-taking of the Hit military camp where ISIL gunmen had captured large quantities of equipment and weapons, Also re-taken was the northwestern riverside area  that had been home to members of the Bu-Nimr tribe. The clashes have left 14 gunmen killed.

Iraqi military aircraft have attacked specific targets in western Ramadi and the areas between the city and Hit, where fierce clashes have been taking place. Also today, ISIL has executed at least 36 members of the Bu-Nimr tribe in Hit, most of whom were security personnel and Awakenings fighters.

Security forces in Baghdadi and Habbaniya have begun receiving tribal volunteers and armed forces members who have been flocking there to take advantage of the amnesty granted to those who have been AWOL. 

Calls for humanitarian relief have been increasing from the blockaded township of Baghdadi, with the continuing ban on any food or fuel reaching the township.

In Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, a security operation is continuing, especially to the south, near the border with Babel Province, where Iraqi air support has also been in action.

There are reports that a senior ISIL leader has been killed in the Ramadi fighting.