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Iraqi forces secure southern edge of Fallujah
Fighters battling to retake Fallujah from Daesh claimed on Sunday to have secured the southern edge of the Iraqi city and almost completely encircled the whole city
Pro-Baghdad fighters have secured the southern edge of the Iraqi city and almost completely encircled the whole city
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a leader of the Iran-backed Shia coalition taking part in the offensive, said on Sunday that the only side of Fallujah that remained to be secured by pro-Baghdad forces was part of the western bank of the Euphrates.
"We are now at the gates of Fallujah," al-Muhandis told a news conference broadcast on state TV.
“People fleeing Fallujah have been using anything that floats to help them get across the river, which is about 250 to 300 metres wide at the crossing point in farmland just south of the city,” provincial council head Shakir al-Essawi said.
The UN estimates that about 50,000 civilians live in Fallujah, 50 km from Baghdad, with limited access to water, food and healthcare.
On 1 June Prime minister Haider al-Abadi said that in order to protect civilians, the offensive on Fallujah had been slowed down.
Alongside the militant group, sunni politicians have voiced concern that the presence of shia militias alongside the army in the battle could lead to an increase in sectarian violence.
