14 June 2014

In Al-Saqlawiya, a township west of Fallujah, has been since yesterday the scene of an operation that began with the targeting of the township seat building with two car bombs. The five-storey building has also been a stronghold of the security forces; we do not yet know the outcome of the attack or the number of casualties it caused. Meanwhile, the gunmen have seized control of large areas of the township following the withdrawal of some security units. However, security forces are still holding numerous areas around the township and are at this time involved in regaining control of the township, with some sources indicating that a security operation will be launched during the next few hours to re-take Al-Saqlawiya.

In Fallujah, shelling of the city's central and northern districts has been ongoing since last night. A source at the Fallujah General Hospital has announced that 4 residents have been killed and 7 others, including women and children, have been wounded.

The town of Al-Qaim in western Anbar has been relatively calm and is still under the control of security forces supported by local police, tribal elements, and townspeople. Meanwhile, ISIL gunmen have seized the border facility on the Syrian side of the border. On the Iraqi side, and after the withdrawal of government forces, the border area is under the control of tribal forces cooperating with the local police. However, the border is more than 600 km long and there are numerous groups of gunmen moving back and forth across the border.

In Al-Garma, fierce intermittent clashes have been underway, and shelling has struck government buildings and some residential homes. We do not yet have any casualty figures from the town.

In Ramadi, although the city is relatively calm, security sources are saying that military operations are underway in the city's southern sector and that they would shortly secure the area. In spite of the optimistic tone of the security reports, large numbers of residents are still moving out of Fallujah, Al-Saqlawiya, and the southern and southwestern districts of Ramadi; they are mostly heading for Hit which has so far taken in more than 70,000 displaced people, a number equal to the town's population, exacerbating the difficulties faced by this township.

Events in Mosul and the neighboring Salahuddin governorate have had their effect on Anbar. The reported capture by the gunmen of the Baiji oil refinery has resulted in huge shortages in petroleum products, in addition to huge rises in the prices of foodstuffs and vegetables. 

13 June 2014

After several days of intermittent fighting in a number of Ramadi's districts, the city awoke today to find a limited curfew in place on a number of dispersed districts. Also today, some families have left their homes in a number of districts after clashes resulted in the wounding of at least 5 residents.

On Thursday, gunmen seized full control of Al-Kubaisa township, west of Ramadi, after a confrontation between army forces and the gunmen; the fighting resulted in the withdrawal of the army forces from their posts, leaving Al-Kubaisa in the hands of the gunmen.

Gunmen also tried to take over the nearby Al-Baghdadi township.

The border region with Syria at Al-Qaim has been abandoned by the army and the border forces. Gunmen launched an attack on the border customs positions, killing 4 army personnel; all army, customs, and border units then completely withdrew. Tribal forces have now formed units charged with protecting the border.

Meanwhile, clashes have intensified in Fallujah since yesterday. Two people, one of them a woman, were killed and 3 were wounded by the ongoing shelling of both Fallujah and Al-Garma. 

12 June 2014

In Fallujah, gunmen have succeeded in seizing the Al-Maftoul crossing which is the only access point into and out of Fallujah. It had been under the control of Iraqi forces, but after violent clashes yesterday the gunmen succeeded this morning in capturing the crossing. They have removed the concrete barriers and are now operating the crossing.

Within Fallujah, the northeastern areas of the city were the scene of intermittent clashes, especially in Al-Sichir and along the Baghdad highway.

A source at the Fallujah General Hospital has just announced that 2 people have been killed and 4 others wounded in the shelling of several residential districts.

In Al-Garma, northeast of Fallujah, shelling has been continuous since last night and into this morning. The targeted districts have also been the scene of fierce clashes between military forces and the gunmen inside the town.

In Ramadi, a local government official announced today that an extended meeting between the Anbar governor and security commanders in Anbar. The meeting centered on altering the situation from its present defensive mode into an offensive mode, in order to re-establish control over all of Ramadi. Areas outside Ramadi, on Al-Khalidiya Island are still the scene of intermittent clashes. No casualty count has yet been announced.

In Hit, army engineers were able to disarm a car bomb that had been parked next to a garage. The other western regions of Anbar are under strict security measures following confirmed reports of the gunmen's plans to assault the western towns, along the lines of what took place in Salahuddin, Nineveh, and some parts of Kirkuk.

Some units of the Iraqi army's Border Guards have been withdrawn, in a sudden and surprise move, from the areas along the border with Syria.

Meanwhile, volunteer tribal forces have taken up arms and are protecting the border strip against any infiltration by Iraqis or non-Iraqis.

Generally, citizens are concerned and afraid that the security situation in Anbar will deteriorate, in a similar way to what has already happened in the other Iraqi governorates bordering Anbar.

11 June 2014

Starting with Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salahuddin Governorate, ISIL gunmen have entered the city today and taken full control. The initial penetration came from the city's eastern side from which they spread out and took control of the entire city. As we speak, the gunmen have seized the holding jail in the city and have released all the prisoners being held there.

Meanwhile in Ramadi and Fallujah, Ramadi's residential districts are relatively calm but there have been some intermittent clashes in the city's southern sector after the gunmen were able to regain control of several districts there. Elsewhere, some residents have been returning to their relatively calm districts. A similar calm has also settled over the city's northern districts.

In Fallujah, a medical source has announced that 4 residents have been killed and 6 others wounded as a result of the resumption of shelling since last night, through noontime today. More mass migrations are underway in Fallujah as a result of the continuing military operations in the city.

In Al-Garma, northeast of Fallujah, has been under heavy shelling since last night and through noontime today.

In Hit township, a curfew has been in effect since last night after reports indicated that the gunmen are planning to seize control of the township, as has taken place in Nineveh and Salahuddin Governorates. However, security forces have announced today that they have thwarted that attempt on Hit.

In Anbar's western regions along the boundary with Salahuddin, stringent security measures are being adopted in order to foil any attempt at repeating what took place in Ramadi and Fallujah which fell to the gunmen.

With regard to the conference that is to be held on June 20th, a preparatory committee has been formed by the Anbar local government, and invitations have been issued to a large number of religious and tribal figures to attend the conference in Baghdad.

Another conference will take place in the middle of next week, and is described as being in preparation for the Baghdad conference and will be held in Ramadi. The aim is to agree on the issues that will be presented to the central government.

The armed groups now appear to be preparing to expand their operations after seizing Tikrit in order to take control of broader regions that are still being held by security forces, but official sources are all confirming that Tikrit is now totally under the control of the gunmen, and that all military, security, and police forces have withdrawn, leaving behind their weapons and equipment. These have been taken over by the gunmen who have also burned down many of the police stations and security vehicles in the area they now control.

10 June 2014

Military, security, and local police forces in Anbar, particularly in the regions bordering on Salahuddin Governorate, have adopted security measures as a precaution against the spillover of the situations in Salahuddin and Nineveh into the secure regions of western Anbar.

Meanwhile, military operations are still underway in Fallujah which has been shelled since last night and through noontime today. An initial casualty count shows that 4 residents have been killed and 7 others have been wounded in several of the city's districts.

Two bridges have been blown up: the one connecting Fallujah city with the Amiriyat Al-Fallujah township in the city's southern sector; the second, known as Al-Ibra Bridge, connects Amiriyat Al-Fallujah with Baghdad. Both are vitally important bridges and are main access routes into and out of Fallujah.

In Ramadi, there were violent clashes last night in connection with the escalation of fighting in the areas around Anbar University between gunmen and the security forces, as well as in areas that had been under the control of security forces and to which the gunmen have now returned.

In the continuing civilian exodus from Ramadi and Fallujah, more than 320 families have today moved out of their homes on their way to Hit township in western Ramadi where they were received by some of the humanitarian organizations, and they are now housed in school buildings under very difficult living conditions. With the onslaught of the summer heat and with the approach of Ramadan they are still calling for relief aid.

09 June 2014

Last night in Ramadi, gunmen blew up the central oil distribution center. This vital facility is operated by the local government. The fires raged for many hours, into this morning. Civil defense forces and fire brigades were able to put out the fires.

Also today, gunmen blew up the Al-Bzaizeez bridge that links Fallujah city with Amiriyat Al-Fallujah and is considered to be a vital bridge in the southern region of Fallujah. An explosives-laden boat was detonated on the Euphrates River as it crashed into the bridge pylons, causing the bridge to collapse, but without causing any casualties.

There were military operations and fierce clashes in Fallujah and Al-Garma. A family that was about to leave Al-Garma was hit by shelling that killed all 6 of the family members. Seven other people were wounded by the shelling, and there was major damage to civilian buildings, schools, and to the town's infrastructure.

Two women were killed in Fallujah and 4 others were wounded by the ongoing indiscriminate shelling of a number of the city's residential districts.

The Anbar University in Ramadi was the scene of fierce and violent fighting; a security source has revealed that gunmen are still holding at least 15 of the university's teaching staff as hostages. Intermittent clashes are still going on in the university grounds. The source added that the gunmen have stolen 15 billion dinars (about $1.28 million) from the university.

Politically, there have been statements indicating that agreement has been reached with the central government on the timing of the general conference that was called by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. It has been scheduled for June 20th and will be aimed at resolving the Anbar crisis. The local government has called on all political entities and tribal leaders to attend, pointing out that there will be no 'red lines' applied to any individuals, even those who took up arms against the security forces; they can all attend and take part in the conference.

08 June 2014

Ramadi has been much quieter today in comparison with the preceding days that saw the students at Anbar University becoming embroiled in the security-related events in Ramadi city. 
A huge fire has engulfed and destroyed most of the shops and businesses on Al-Shorja Street, the main wholesale market in the city center. No casualties have been reported but the material and structural damage is huge. The fire was caused by the nearby fighting between gunmen and army forces that included shelling of the vicinity, and fire quickly spread and destroyed an estimated 100 shops and businesses and some public facilities in the market area.
Also today, one of the homes of Dr. Abdul-Malik Al-Sa'adi in central Ramadi was set ablaze in the second incident of its kind involving a residence belonging to the religious scholar. Today's fire was the work of unknown attackers; the residence was unoccupied and there were no injuries reported.
Ramadi's residential districts have been relatively calm today but gunmen are still holding the square-shaped area in the southern/southeastern sector of the city; security forces have been unable to move into the area.

In Fallujah, the General Hospital announced that 2 elderly women have been killed by mortar fire that struck their central-Fallujah home.

According to UN estimates announced today, more than 486,000 families have been displaced from Ramadi and Fallujah. They are now facing harsh living conditions and are calling on the central and local governments to seek urgent solutions and to provide them with relief aid.