05 January 2015

The most significant development overnight and through this afternoon has been a series of ISIL attacks on border posts manned by army personnel and border guards, particularly those along the border with Jordan. An attack on the Annaz border post in westernmost Anbar was repelled by security forces and Iraqi air support. The Anbar Operations has just reported that at least 50 ISIL gunmen have been killed in the border-post attacks.

In Haditha and for the fourth consecutive day, ISIL gunmen have launched intermittent attacks on the town's perimeter, particularly along its southwestern sector. Security and local forces are reporting that they have thwarted more than one attack on the western and southern approaches of the town.

Iraqi air support and coalition warplanes were also involved, killing at least 11 gunmen.

In Baghdadi, there has been mortar fire on the town's southwestern sector, and security forces have announced that they have not been able to re-take the areas, including 14 villages, that were recently captured by ISIL forces.

In Ramadi today, security forces have succeeded in liberating the Bu-Nasser area in western Khalidiya, in northwestern Ramadi. With Iraqi air support they have killed at least 23 gunmen, including some non-Iraqi Arab nationals.

In other military action in the southern and western sectors of the city, security forces have killed an Iraqi ISIL commander in westernmost Ramadi.

In Fallujah, clashes and mortar fire exchanges have achieved some ISIL gains, while incoming mortar fire has struck a number of the city's central, southern, and northern residential districts. The city's general hospital has reported that 4 residents have been killed and 16 wounded.