Iraqi PM Urges Expulsion of Al-Qaida in Fallujah

VOA

FILE - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki speaks to the press in Baghdad, Iraq.

Edward Yeranian

January 06, 2014

CAIRO — Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is calling on residents of the mostly Sunni-populated Anbar Province town of Fallujah to expel pro- al-Qaida militants who appear to control their city.  Witnesses say Iraqi government forces outside the city are bombarding areas inside, while warning an offensive could start soon.

In a statement read on state television, Maliki urged Iraqis to “help the government and army to fight terrorists.”  He went on to urge residents to “expel” the Islamic militants who control the city.

Click to enlarge

A resident of Fallujah indicated he fled because foodstuffs and basic necessities were running short.  Scores of residents have been leaving the city as conditions deteriorate.  Some reports say Islamic militants are now blocking exits from Fallujah.

Falah al Aissawi, a member of the Anbar provincial council, told al-Arabiya TV that “no Iraqi police or army troops remain inside [Fallujah].”  Witnesses reported that Iraqi helicopters and field artillery were bombing positions in at least two areas of the city.
Read More Here

Related articles

• Iraqi forces, tribesmen battle militants
• Iraqi jets target Sunni fighters in Anbar
• UN: Iraq Sees Highest Annual Death Toll In Years
• Al Qaeda seizes partial control of 2 cities in western Iraq
• UN: Iraq Sees Highest Annual Death Toll in Years

Al-Qaida Takes Control of Iraqi City

VOA News

January 04, 2014

FILE: Protesters throw stones at Iraqi security forces during an anti-government demonstration in Falluja, Iraq, January 25, 2013.

Reports Saturday say the Iraqi government has lost control of Fallujah to al-Qaida militants after days of fighting.
A senior security official told the French news agency that Fallujah is under the control of ISIS - a reference to the al-Qaida-linked group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Witnesses says there are no signs of government forces inside the Anbar province city, which is only 60 kilometers west of Baghdad.
On Friday, al-Qaida militants raised their flag over government buildings in Fallujah and declared an independent Islamic state.
Witnesses said the militants cut power lines in the city late Friday and ordered residents not to use backup generators.
A local journalist who asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution told The Washington Post that police and other government-aligned forces had abandoned the city and that al-Qaida had burned all Iraqi national flags.
Read More Here

Related articles

• Iraqis battle militant uprising in Ramadi and Fallujah
• Qaeda-linked militants control half of Iraq's Fallujah: security
• Al-Qaida-linked gunmen, Iraqi troops fight in cities
• Latest violence in Iraq rattles far beyond the region