24 February 2015

In Baghdadi, security forces have been able today to liberate a number of the rural areas around the town, particularly in the southwestern sector of the township, to the west of the town's residential complex in central Baghdadi. They have also broken the siege of a group of villages east of the town. There are reports that large numbers of ISIL gunmen have fled into the western desert between Baghdadi and Haditha and on towards Ana, Rawa and al-Qaim Townships. Iraqi air support, in cooperation with coalition warplanes, has carried out sorties against the southwestern areas of the town, where ISIL is still massing its forces. Reports indicate that military supplies have arrived today, to be used in the operations on the riverside areas across from Baghdadi. More than 300 families are still evacuating from Baghdadi's southwestern residential districts. Some of the families have arrived at the Ayn al-Asad Base where a large camp has been put up to shelter them.

In Ramadi, security forces have today been able to booby-trap a tunnel that ISIL gunmen were planning to use to reach central Ramadi and the government complex. The 700-meter tunnel extends from the Hawz district toward the city center. Security forces planned to blow up the tunnel while the gunmen are passing through it. The plan was implemented and at least 23 ISIL gunmen were killed as a result. Security forces have penetrated into the city's southern sector. Meanwhile, ISIL gunmen today launched a number of mortar rounds from the Ta'ameem district they control in western Ramadi, toward districts in the city's center. One woman was killed and 4 residents were wounded by the mortar attacks.

Across the river to the northeast of the city, security operations are still underway, in which 3 snipers, including one Saudi national, were killed. Security forces supported by tribal fighters have cleared the road leading to the areas on Ramadi Island.

In Fallujah, a hospital source has announced that 2 residents were killed and 6 were wounded by the clashes and ongoing random bombardment exchanges that have struck some of the city's residential districts in central and northern Fallujah.

In Garma, mortar fire has struck residential districts in the town, killing 5 members of one family within the town. Clashes are continuing in the township's outlying areas and coalition warplanes have also been in action against ISIL positions in those areas.