26 May 2014

According to the Anbar Operations Command sources, the army forces on the Fallujah perimeter are being inspected in preparation for an offensive into the city during the coming few hours. The sources added that the offensive would be launched on more than six fronts around the city. The armed forces are using aircraft and artillery shelling to strike at most of the city's residential districts, including Al-Nu'aimiya and Al-Julan to the south, the city's central districts, and on up to Al-Sichir to the north and northeast. A preliminary count shows that seven residents have been killed and twelve others wounded as a result of the bombardment.

The Relief Aid Organization official in Fallujah, Mohammed Al-Girtani, has said that there are still at least 5,000 families within Fallujah and that there are difficulties in getting them out of the city. Families are also fleeing the city after hearing security reports of an imminent assault on Fallujah within the next few hours or days.

In Ramadi, the military operation in the southern and southwestern sectors of the city is still underway, after the security forces' regaining control of some of the area's districts, but other districts in the southern sector are still the scenes of intermittent clashes between security forces and the groups of gunmen.

The Anbar Governorate Council has warned against launching an offensive on Fallujah, saying that it is opposed to such military operations that would result in numerous civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, those who have been displaced from Ramadi and Fallujah who are now sheltering in school buildings in the western regions of Anbar are still calling for attention to the fact that they have not yet received any of the funds that have been allocated for them.

21 May 2014

The Anbar Governorate Office announced this afternoon that security forces have taken total control of the Al-Hawz, Al-Humaira, Street 60, Al-Andalus, and Al-Thubbat districts of Ramadi's southern sector where military operations have been ongoing for about four months. This is a success, which was achieved after fierce battles that were announced last night by the Anbar Police Commander, General Isma'il Mhalawi.

Meanwhile in Fallujah, offensive operations were launched on two fronts - from Al-Nu'aimiya in the southern sector and from Al-Sichir to the north - but the security forces were unable to penetrate into the city because of the fierce resistance by the gunmen; clashes and battles are still going on, albeit intermittently, in those areas.

Other operations, described by security sources as being pre-emptive, have included shelling targeted at some of the districts where gunmen are positioned according to claims by the security forces. The Fallujah General Hospital has announced that one resident has been killed and 6 others have been wounded in the shelling of Al-Wahda, Al-Askari, Al-Judhaifi, Nazzal, and Al-Julan districts, in addition to the northeastern Al-Risala district.

Late last night it was announced that more than 21,000 have been displaced from the city's southern sector; they are the last of the families who had remained in the that sector. They are today making their way toward Anbar's western regions. The head of the Habbaniya township, Fawzi Zbar, announced that more than 200 families have arrived in the township where they have taken refuge in the township's schools, more than 30 of which have been vacated in order to accommodate them. Mr. Zbari has called on the humanitarian, human rights, and service organizations to provide food aid for these displaced families. Al-Rutba township has also received more than 400 families, as have Hit, Haditha, Rawa, and Al-Qaim townships.

Since last Sunday, the Anbar University has received large numbers of students from the Fallujah University. They are now attending classes at the Anbar University in Ramadi. On Monday, the Anbar University announced that it was providing each of these students with 100,000 Dinars (about 86 USD) per moth, after the central Education Ministry had announced providing them with 50,000 Dinars. We have visited the Anbar University where we observed basically normal activity and we learned that the academic year is to be extended because of the security situation; final exams for this year will probably take place in early August.