Iraqi soldiers backed by Sunni fighters launched a major operation Saturday to retake a section of the city of Ramadi seized by Islamic State terrorists, an official and residents said.
The fighting focused on Ramadi’s eastern Sijariya neighborhood, which the extremist group said it captured Friday.
An official with the Anbar provincial council described intense fighting there Saturday morning that included both sides firing mortars. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.
Eyewitnesses, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, corroborated his account.