Iraq: Iraq forces launch assault near Fallujah, 11 people killed
Iraqi forces launched an operation Friday to retake areas near the militant-held city of Fallujah in preparation for an eventual assault, a senior officer said, as violence killed 11 people.
Antigovernment fighters have held Fallujah, just a short drive from Baghdad, and shifting parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, farther west, since early January.
“A military operation was launched … to eliminate the Isil organisation and liberate Fallujah,” a senior army officer said, referring to powerful jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.