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Iraqi Forces Say They Have Retaken Ramadi From ISIS Iraqi Forces Retake Center of Ramadi From ISIS
(34 minutes later)
BAGHDAD — Iraqi forces announced on Monday that they had liberated the western city of Ramadi from the Islamic State after a fierce weeklong battle to retake it, following a brutal seven-month occupation by the extremist group. BAGHDAD — Iraqi forces said on Monday they had seized a strategic government complex in the western city of Ramadi from the Islamic State after a fierce weeklong battle to retake it, following a brutal seven-month occupation by the extremist group.
“The security forces have entered the governmental buildings and raised the Iraqi flags over them after killing many ISIS militants, and the rest have escaped,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for the Iraqi military, announced. “The security forces have entered the governmental buildings and raised the Iraqi flags over them after killing many ISIS militants, and the rest have escaped,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, a spokesman for the Iraqi military, said.
The loss of Ramadi — the capital and most populous city of the western Iraqi province of Anbar — would be the most significant in a string of recent defeats for the Islamic State, which has occupied a large stretch of Iraq and Syria since the middle of last year. Although he at first declared the city “fully liberated,” another military commander, Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, noted that pockets of resistance remained in about 30 percent of the city, particularly in the communities of Sajariya and Sufiya, on the eastern outskirts of the city, and Albu Ghanim, to the north. Islamic State fighters captured those villages in April before advancing on the center of Ramadi.
Fighters from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, fled the city’s government headquarters, their last major redoubt in Ramadi, around midday. They had been encircled by Iraqi counterterrorism forces and police officers, backed by Sunni tribesmen who oppose the militant group and by American airstrikes. A spokesman for the military command in Anbar Province cautioned that pockets of resistance remained in Ramadi, and that sporadic fighting continued. Nonetheless, the seizing of the government complex — the last major redoubt of Islamic State fighters in Ramadi — was a strategic and symbolic victory after days of fighting. The loss of Ramadi, the capital and most populous city of the western Iraqi province of Anbar, would be the most significant in a string of recent defeats for the Islamic State, which has occupied a large stretch of Iraq and Syria since the middle of last year.
Fighters from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, fled the government compound around midday, having been encircled by Iraqi counterterrorism forces and police officers, backed by Sunni tribesmen who oppose the militant group and by American airstrikes.
An American military commander had confirmed, earlier Monday, that the Iraqi forces were poised to retake the government complex by day’s end. The commander spoke on the condition of anonymity because the operational details were not yet clear.An American military commander had confirmed, earlier Monday, that the Iraqi forces were poised to retake the government complex by day’s end. The commander spoke on the condition of anonymity because the operational details were not yet clear.
Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, the commander of the operation, said in a phone interview that security forces had to first make sure that it was safe to enter the compound because it was “surrounded with improvised explosive devices and car bombs.” Bassem Eid Ammash, a spokesman for the Anbar provincial council, said in a phone interview that troops had been careful about entering the government complex, to minimize losses. “We are trying to remove all the I.E.D.s and explosives before entering the governmental compound,” he said, referring to improvised explosive devices.
Bassem Eid Ammash, a spokesman for the Anbar provincial council, said in a phone interview that the authorities were trying to minimize losses. Mazin al-Dulaimi, a police commander involved with the Anbar offensive, acknowledged in a phone interview that “there is difficulty in breaking into the governmental compound because a number of suicide bombers and snipers are still inside the compound.”
“We do not want for the security forces to advance because if they do so there will be losses,” he said, “so we are trying to remove all the I.E.D.s and explosives before entering the governmental compound.” He said that intercepted wireless communications suggested that the snipers in the government complex had been trying to obstruct the Iraqi forces’ advance so as to facilitate the escape of fellow militants.
Although it was premature to declare a total victory, the momentum of the battle clearly seemed to be on the side of the Iraqis.
“The clearance of the government center is a significant accomplishment and is the result of many months of hard work by the Iraqi Army, the Counterterrorism Service, the Iraqi Air Force, local and federal police, and tribal fighters,” Col. Steven H. Warren, the United States military spokesman in Baghdad, said in a statement, adding: “Today’s success is a proud moment for Iraq.”
Ramadi has been one of the most significant cities under the extremist group’s control, along with its self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa, Syria; the northern Iraqi city of Mosul; and the Iraqi city of Falluja, which sits between Ramadi and the capital, Baghdad, nearly 60 miles to the east.Ramadi has been one of the most significant cities under the extremist group’s control, along with its self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa, Syria; the northern Iraqi city of Mosul; and the Iraqi city of Falluja, which sits between Ramadi and the capital, Baghdad, nearly 60 miles to the east.
Reasserting control over Ramadi would allow Iraq to cut off supply lines to Falluja and would make it very difficult for the Islamic State to continue to hold that city.Reasserting control over Ramadi would allow Iraq to cut off supply lines to Falluja and would make it very difficult for the Islamic State to continue to hold that city.
The retaking of Ramadi would also give a much-needed lift to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who leads Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government but has tried to reach out to the country’s large Sunni minority. Mr. Abadi’s predecessor, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, thoroughly alienated the Sunni community.The retaking of Ramadi would also give a much-needed lift to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who leads Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government but has tried to reach out to the country’s large Sunni minority. Mr. Abadi’s predecessor, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, thoroughly alienated the Sunni community.
On Monday, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Belawi, the leader of a battalion of tribal fighters, told The Associated Press that the militants had stopped returning fire from inside the Ramadi government compound around 8 a.m. On Monday, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Belawi, the leader of a battalion of tribal fighters, told The Associated Press that the militants stopped returning fire from inside the Ramadi government compound around 8 a.m. “We believe that they were either killed or fled,” he said.
“We believe that they were either killed or fled,” he said.
General Belawi said that troops were calling in engineers to check buildings before entering, fearful of booby traps or suicide bombers.
Heavy fighting was reported in the downtown neighborhood of Huz. On Twitter, supporters of the Islamic State were dismissive of the reports that Ramadi was about to fall.Heavy fighting was reported in the downtown neighborhood of Huz. On Twitter, supporters of the Islamic State were dismissive of the reports that Ramadi was about to fall.
On Thursday, the Islamic State released a flurry of statements saying it had killed at least 30 Iraqi government forces, perhaps in an attempt to bolster morale. On Thursday, the Islamic State released a flurry of statements saying it had killed at least 30 members of the Iraqi government forces, perhaps in an attempt to bolster morale.
Mazin al-Dulaimi, a police commander involved with the Anbar offensive, acknowledged in a phone interview that “there is difficulty in breaking into the governmental compound because a number of suicide bombers and snipers are still inside the compound.” Colonel Warren, the United States military spokesman in Baghdad, said the Iraqi forces had been “supported by over 600 coalition airstrikes since July.”
He said that intercepted wireless communications suggested that the snipers in the government complex were trying to obstruct the Iraqi forces’ advance so as to facilitate the escape of fellow militants.
Col. Steven H. Warren, the United States military spokesman in Baghdad, congratulated the Iraqi security forces.
He called the offensive to retake the city “the result of many months of hard work by the Iraqi Army, the counterterrorism service, the Iraqi Air Force, the local and federal police, and tribal fighters — all supported by over 600 coalition airstrikes since July.”
On Sunday alone, he said, coalition planes launched three airstrikes over Ramadi, hitting 18 targets.On Sunday alone, he said, coalition planes launched three airstrikes over Ramadi, hitting 18 targets.