Iraqi forces have retaken the main government office in Fallujah from the control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to the country’s state television. Under Islamic State (IS) siege since January 2014, the offensive to retake the city, a bastion of Sunni insurgency, commenced on 23 May 2016.
Iraq’s federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawat said, ‘The liberation of the government compound, symbolises the restoration of the state’s authority in Fallujah.’
Facing little resistance from ISIL fighters, officials believe that the top IS fighters have fled Fallujah, with inexperienced fighters left behind to defend the city. While Fallujah is far from being recaptured, the Iraqi army is now estimated to be in control of 50 per cent of the city.
An estimated 3.4 million people have been displaced and a further 2.6 million have fled Iraq due to the intense fighting underway. According to a statement from United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, civilians still remain at ‘extreme risk, desperate to escape to safety but cannot.’ It is estimated that up to 90,000 civilians still remain in the besieged city.
