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UP FRONTTuesday 29 December 2015
Iraqi troops advance in Ramadi, pockets of IS remain
SINAN SALAHEDDIN sives to retake Ramadi, but
Associated Press all had stalled. Iraqi troops Iraqi soldiers plant a national flag in the government complex in central Ramadi, 70 miles west of
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi began advancing into Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Dec. 28, 2015. Iraqi military forces on Monday retook a strategic govern-
forces backed by U.S.-led some parts of the city, lo-
airstrikes drove Islamic State cated about 130 kilometers
militants out of the center (80 miles) west of Baghdad,
of Ramadi on Monday and earlier this month. But their
seized the main govern- progress was slowed by
ment complex there, ac- snipers, booby traps and
cording to military officials, the militants’ destruction
who said insurgents are still of bridges leading into the
dug into pockets of the city city center.
west of Baghdad. The heavy fighting and lim-
Ramadi, the provincial ited access to front-lines
capital of the sprawling made it difficult to follow
Anbar province, fell to IS in the troops’ progress, and
May, marking a major set- Iraqi officials issued a string
back for Iraqi forces and of sometimes contradictory
the U.S.-led campaign. Ra- statements.
madi and nearby Fallujah, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Belawi
which is controlled by IS, told The Associated Press
saw some of the heaviest that IS militants stopped fir-
fighting of the eight-year ing from inside the govern-
U.S. intervention in Iraq. ment complex at around
In recent months Iraqi forc- 8 a.m. Monday and said
es launched several offen- troops were encircling it as
ment complex in the city of Ramadi from Islamic State militants
who have occupied the city since May.
(AP Photo)
engineering teams cleared military spokesman in Bagh-
booby traps. dad, told AP that “today’s
A few hours later, military success is a proud moment
spokesman Brig. Gen. Ya- for Iraq.”
hya Rasool announced in “The clearance of the gov-
a televised statement that ernment center is a signifi-
Ramadi had been “fully lib- cant accomplishment and
erated.” is the result of many months
But Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, of hard work by the Iraqi
head of military operations army, the counterterrorism
in Anbar, quickly clarified service, the Iraqi air force,
that Iraqi forces had only local and federal police,
retaken the government and tribal fighters,” Warren
complex and that parts of said.
the city remained under IS He said the U.S.-led coali-
control. He said IS fighters tion has carried out more
still control 30 percent of than 630 airstrikes, in ad-
Ramadi and that govern- dition to training security
ment forces do not fully forces and providing both
control many districts from advice and equipment to
which IS fighters have re- clear bombs and booby
treated. traps.
“The troops only entered Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the
the government complex,” head of the U.S. Central
al-Mahlawi told The Associ- Command, congratulated
ated Press. “We can’t say Iraqi forces on the “impor-
that Ramadi is fully liberat- tant operational achieve-
ed. There are still neighbor- ment.”
hoods under their control “Coupled with other re-
and there are still pockets cent ISIL losses across Iraq
of resistance.” and Syria... the seizure of
Iraqi state TV showed the Government Center
troops, some waving Iraqi clearly demonstrates that
flags and others brandish- the enemy is losing mo-
ing machine guns, chant- mentum as they steadily
ing and dancing inside cede territory,” he said in a
what it described as the statement, using an acro-
government complex. Sol- nym for the IS group.
diers could be seen slaugh- An Iraqi military officer told
tering sheep in celebration the AP that the militants
near heavily damaged had retreated from the
buildings. government complex to
Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. other parts of the city.q
