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.

08 September 2014

The most significant topic on the streets of Anbar has been the attacks launched by U.S. warplanes, mainly on western Anbar regions. A large number of such attacks have been carried out against groups of ISIL gunmen. The most recent have been strikes in the Ana and Rawa townships, but we do not yet know the outcome of the strikes that also targeted areas on the western outskirts of Haditha. A security source at the Anbar Operations Command has announced that such airstrikes have also targeted gunmen positions surrounding the Haditha Dam. However, there have also been some intermittent clashes  - the most recent about one hour ago - involving some gunmen attempting to enter the town from the southern villages they are still holding.

Naturally, these security developments and particularly the American airstrikes have been welcomed by Anbaris and by their local government, especially as they have been seen to be accurately targeted strikes that have not resulted in any civilian casualties, whereas the bombardments by government forces have regularly killed and wounded numerous civilians.

A short time ago, a security source in the Al-Sichir district of Fallujah, two booby-trapped homes were blown up when security forces entered them; at least 24 army personnel were killed and at least 33 were wounded by the blasts.

Also in Fallujah, government aerial bombardment of a number of the city's central and northern residential districts has killed 3 residents and wounded 17, according to Dr. Ahmed Al-Shami, the senior resident at the city's general hospital.

In Ramadi, residents demonstrated today demanding of the local government to end military operations and to allow them to return to their homes.

On the political front, the deputy Anbar Governor for technical affairs has been appointed Governor, replacing Governor Ahmed Khalaf Al-Dulaimi who was wounded and is now receiving treatment at a hospital in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

A 40-kilometer trench has been completed today, to protect the Al-Wafa'a area in western Ramadi. This has been done in several other locations in order to thwart any renewed attempt by the gunmen to seize territory, and the same measure will be repeated in a number of other locations.

2 May 2014

Everybody, especially the political blocs and parties, was surprised by the transport of the Anbar ballot boxes to the Baghdad International Fair (being used as the national balloting center). The boxes were collected at the Ayn Al-Asad military base in Al-Baghdadi (between Hit and Haditha) and then transported by air to Baghdad. This first-time-ever step has surprised and angered the participating political entities; they fear that this will facilitate the manipulation of the results, in the absence of observers and representatives of the parties and blocs, and has cast a shadow over the political scene in Anbar where everyone is awaiting the results, regardless of whatever is happening behind the scenes.

There were clashes and heavy shelling today in Fallujah and Al-Garma. Fallujah has been shelled by artillery fire and air strikes which has been broadened to include most of the city's residential districts. A casualty estimate announced a short time ago indicates one person being killed and 10 others, mainly women and children, were injured.

In Al-Garma, there were violent clashes and heavy shelling in a number of the town's districts. There have been some civilian casualties, but the violent military action is still underway as of this afternoon (Friday).

Meanwhile, official Anbar sources have stated today that there are secret negotiations in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between the leadership of the Military Council of Anbar Revolutionaries and high-level representatives of the central government. Sabah Karhout, the leader of the Anbar Governorate Council, said in a press release that the next few days might produce a way out of the crisis, and the return of displaced families to their homes.

Water levels of the Euphrates River have risen and the flooding has inundated vast tracts of agricultural fields in and around the township of Abu Ghraib and the western outskirts of Baghdad. We have learned that the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Al-Timimi has stated that the flooding is beyond the control of the local government. He has called on the relevant ministries to provide a solution, given the spread of the flooding toward the capital.

26 April 2014

At dawn this morning gunmen blew up a school being used as a polling station in the Al-Karabla in Al-Qa'im township in western Anbar on the border with Syria. The school was completely demolished but there were no casualties.

In Ramadi, there are some relatively low-level clashes still going on; the various hot-zone districts are relatively calm, although some gunfire could be heard during the night.

In Fallujah, a large number of families - and some from Ramadi - have migrated towards Kurdistan, firstly as a result of the flooding of the city's southern sector, and also as a result of the continuing indiscriminate shelling that has today caused the death of one resident and injured 6 others.

A pedestrian crossing point has been opened after the flooding of vast areas of Fallujah.

Al-Garma is completely closed off by the army with nobody able to get into or out of the town which has been the target of intensive shelling during the past three days.

Also today, the Anbar Governorate Council has disbursed some of the funds allocated as compensation to the city of Ramadi. The disbursement amounts to 10 million Dinars (about $8400) to each residential home. The amount is insufficient, but the local government has said that it represents the first partial payment of the compensation for those whose homes have been destroyed.

Sheikh Ali Hatem, who had led the Military Council of Anbar Tribal Revolutionaries, left the country yesterday (Friday) by way of the Treybeel crossing into Jordan on his way to Amman. This has raised questions: he is wanted by the government but left the Governorate and the country using his Iraqi passport through the official border crossing at Treybeel. Some are saying that negotiations are about to take place in Amman, and that he secured permission by the central government to leave. Others are saying that he was given a large sum of money that secured his exit to Amman.

Regarding the upcoming elections, there are differences of opinion among the Anbar residents about whether to take part or not. Obviously, there are numerous hindrances, particularly in Ramadi and Fallujah that can only undertake a limited partial balloting.