Iraq: Iraqi army shells Falluja to dislodge Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants
The Iraqi army shelled the western city of Falluja with mortar bombs overnight to try to wrest back control from militants, killing at least eight people, tribal leaders and officials said on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Al-Qaeda-linked fighters took control of the Iraqi city of Fallujah following a bloody battle with security forces in which more than 100 people were killed. The insurgents have announced the creation of an Islamic state in Fallujah, AFP reported.
Government troops with the help from the local allied tribesmen carried out an assault in Fallujah, firing heavy artillery rounds at a location where up to 150 Qaeda-linked fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were positioned, an anonymous military official told AP, adding that troops also advanced into the city of Ramadi.
At least 32 civilians and 71 ISIL fighters died as the results of clashes, officials told AFP, adding that they did not know how many police and tribesmen were killed.