28 January 2015

The Anbar SWAT commander, Col. Sha'atan Al-Obaidi, has announced that his forces, supported by tribal fighters, have established control of all the villages in Baghdadi township between Hit and Haditha, including the area across the Euphrates from Baghdadi town. Fierce clashes erupted this morning in which all medium and heavy weapons were deployed, and at least 13 ISIL gunmen were killed in the fighting.

Direct flights between the Ayn Al-Asad Base and the capital, Baghdad, have transported hundreds of civilians wanting to leave Baghdadi.

In Ramadi, violent clashes erupted when ISIL gunmen attempted to penetrate into the city from its southern sector. Security forces supported by coalition warplanes and Iraqi air units have repelled a number of attacks between dawn today and into the afternoon. Anbar Operations sources report that 3 ISIL snipers positioned on the roofs of buildings in Hawz district were killed.

To the northeast, a secondary military operation in the rural tribal areas; security forces have taken control of the industrial zones near the banks of the Euphrates, across from Ramadi city. In the Shjariya fighting today, 23 ISIL gunmen have been reported killed and at least 100 explosive devices have been disarmed in a number of homes.

In Fallujah, a General Hospital source has reported today that 4 residents were killed and 7 wounded by the indiscriminate shelling between ISIL gunmen holding the city and security forces around its perimeter.

In Garma. violent clashes erupted in the area lying between Anbar and Salahuddin Provinces, and in the township's industrial zone. Incoming mortar fire on a number of the town's residential districts has wounded 7 residents.

In Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, at least 20 ISIL mortar rounds have struck the township, wounding 4 civilians. There have also been clashes in the areas between the township and the boundary of neighboring Babil Province.

Coalition warplanes have again struck at a number of ISIL convoys in western Anbar. Security sources report that many of the gunmen were killed by the airstrikes.