20 April 2015

The Anbar Police Commander, Kadhum al-Fahdawi, announced today that the ISIL threat on Ramadi has been dispelled and that life in the city is now almost normal, notwithstanding the clashes and bombardments are continuing in the northern and northeastern sectors of the city. Street 100, between the Bu-Farraj area and the Sufiya area of northern Ramadi. Operations are ongoing around the Sufiya township. A police source has reported that ISIL gunmen have booby-trapped at least 70 houses in these outlying areas of eastern Ramadi. Iraqi air support and coalition warplanes have today launched strikes on these Ramadi areas and in the southern and central districts of the city; security forces have reported that at least 77 ISIL gunmen have been killed by these air attacks.

The Anbar Council announced today that families have been making there way back to their homes in Ramadi and also to the eastern and northeastern areas. Aside from the continuing clashes, security sources are reporting that the security situation there is relatively calm.

In Baghdadi, the security situation is still grave; ISIL gunmen have forced at least 50 families to flee to the Hatimiya area on the banks of the Euphrates where they have been surrounded for three days  without access to food or medicines.

Meanwhile reinforcements have reached Baghdadi and a major military operation is being reported as imminent, to liberate the township from the gunmen.