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Islamic State conflict: Ramadi battle enters second day Islamic State conflict: Iraqi forces push into Ramadi
(about 4 hours later)
The battle to drive so-called Islamic State (IS) fighters out of the centre of Ramadi is entering its second day as Iraqi special forces fight the militants street by street. Iraqi forces are attempting to move further into the centre of Ramadi, on the second day of an assault to drive Islamic State militants from the city.
Officials are optimistic that the city will be recaptured by the weekend. Security officials say troops and Sunni tribal fighters have taken control of several districts and are advancing towards the main government complex.
But a spokesman for the US-led coalition has been more cautious, saying a tough fight is in prospect. The army's chief-of-staff expects the up to 300 militants inside the city centre to be dislodged within days.
Iraqi forces are heading towards the main government complex, and have come up against snipers and suicide bombers. But there is concern for the civilians they have reportedly taken prisoner.
Ramadi fell to IS in May in an embarrassing defeat for the Iraqi army. Sources in Ramadi said on Tuesday that the jihadists had carried out raids and mass arrests in an attempt to prevent an uprising in support of the government offensive by the thousands of people living in districts under their control.
US-led coalition spokesman Col Steve Warren estimates that there are up to 350 IS fighters still in Ramadi in addition to possibly tens of thousands of civilians. Ramadi, a predominantly Sunni Arab city about 90km (55 miles) west of Baghdad, was captured by IS in May in an embarrassing defeat for the army.
There have been reports that IS has been rounding people up, possibly to use as human shields. Retaking it would be a "huge moral and strategic boost" for the Iraqi security forces, former national security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie told the BBC.
How tactical change boosted offensive 'Difficult battle'
BBC Middle East editor Sebastian Usher says that the offensive in Ramadi appears to be a more effective Iraqi military operation, helped by months of US training. Elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces launched the assault on central Ramadi at dawn on Tuesday, with the support of soldiers, police, Sunni tribesmen opposed to IS, and US-led coalition air strikes.
Notable by their absence, our correspondent says, are powerful Shia militias, who helped recapture Tikrit earlier this year. By the afternoon, government forces had retaken the al-Thubat and al-Aramil districts, and entered nearby al-Malaab and Bakir, security sources told the BBC.
Their presence would be too incendiary in the Sunni heartland of Ramadi and the surrounding province of Anbar, he adds. Floating bridges built over River Euphrates, which flows along the north and west of the city centre, also enabled troops to enter directly the al-Haouz district, near the government complex.
Security sources told the BBC troops and allied tribesmen, backed by US-led air strikes, had already retaken two districts, and entered two others. On Wednesday morning, a spokesman for the governor of Anbar province, of which Ramadi is the capital, told the BBC that most of the IS militants who were in Ramadi before the government began the operation to retake the city in November had fled or been killed.
Last month, government forces completed their encirclement of the predominantly Sunni Arab city, about 90km (55 miles) west of Baghdad, cutting off militants inside the centre from strongholds elsewhere in Anbar province and in neighbouring Syria. "We think there are no more than 300 foreign fighters from Daesh still fighting, probably the suicide bombers. But overall, we think we are very close to liberating the city," Muhannad Haimour said, using a pejorative term for IS based on the acronym of its previous name in Arabic.
Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service spokesman Sabah al-Numani said its troops, supported by soldiers, police and Sunni tribesmen, began the assault on central Ramadi at dawn on Tuesday. "It's a very, very difficult battle, especially with so many booby-traps, explosives and sniper fire against the security forces and tribal fighters."
Sources in the Iraqi military's Anbar Operations Command told the BBC that engineers had built temporary bridges over the River Euphrates, which flows along the north and west of the city centre. Mr Haimour said the jihadists had taken many men prisoner and prevented their families from leaving.
This had enabled troops to enter directly the al-Haouz district, south-west of the government complex. "It's very difficult to estimate the numbers. We're probably talking about 5,000 people who have been forced to stay by Daesh," he added.
By Tuesday afternoon, government forces had retaken the al-Thubat and al-Aramil districts, and entered nearby al-Malaab and Bakir, the sources said. The operation to recapture Ramadi, which began in early November, has made slow progress, mainly because the government has chosen not to use the powerful Shia-dominated paramilitary force that helped it regain the northern city of Tikrit to avoid increasing sectarian tensions.
The Iraqi defence ministry said the jihadists had prevented civilians leaving Ramadi since leaflets warning of an assault were dropped over the city last month. IS has lost control of several key towns in Iraq to government and Kurdish forces since over-running large swathes of the country's west and north in June 2014 and proclaiming the creation of a "caliphate" that also extended into neighbouring Syria.
Sources inside Ramadi told the BBC IS had carried out a campaign of raids and mass arrests of residents in districts still under its control, in an attempt to prevent an uprising in support of the government offensive.
IS has lost control of several key towns in Iraq to government and Kurdish forces since overrunning large swathes of the country's west and north in June 2014 and proclaiming the creation of a "caliphate" that also extended into neighbouring Syria.
On Monday, analysis by IHS Jane's suggested that IS had lost 14% of its overall territory in Iraq and Syria, about 12,800 sq km (4,940 sq miles), over the past year.
Despite this, the group has been able to capture new territory of strategic value over the same period, including Ramadi and Palmyra in Syria's Homs province. It also still controls the Iraqi cities of Falluja, east of Ramadi, and Mosul, in the north.
What is Islamic State?What is Islamic State?
A notoriously violent Islamist group which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. It has declared its territory a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.A notoriously violent Islamist group which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. It has declared its territory a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
What does it want?What does it want?
IS demands allegiance from all Muslims, rejects national borders and seeks to expand its territory. It adheres to its own extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam and regards non-believers as deserving of death.IS demands allegiance from all Muslims, rejects national borders and seeks to expand its territory. It adheres to its own extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam and regards non-believers as deserving of death.
How strong is IS?How strong is IS?
IS projects a powerful image, partly through propaganda and sheer brutality, and is the world's richest insurgent group. It has about 30,000 fighters but is facing daily bombing by a US-led multinational coalition which has vowed to destroy it.IS projects a powerful image, partly through propaganda and sheer brutality, and is the world's richest insurgent group. It has about 30,000 fighters but is facing daily bombing by a US-led multinational coalition which has vowed to destroy it.
More on Islamic StateMore on Islamic State