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Iraqi forces 'retake Falluja town hall' IS conflict: Iraqi forces 'retake Falluja city hall'
(35 minutes later)
Iraqi forces retake Falluja town hall from so-called Islamic State, Iraqi commanders say Iraqi government forces have retaken the main government compound in the city of Falluja from Islamic State (IS) militants, a top commander says.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. Lt Gen Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi told the BBC that elite Counter Terrorism Force troops and rapid response forces had "liberated" the city council building.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. They earlier reportedly recaptured the Industrial District in the city's east.
Falluja, which is 50km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, has been held by IS longer than any other city in Iraq or Syria.
The jihadist group overran Falluja in January 2014, six months before it seized control of large parts of northern and western Iraq.
'Restoring state authority'
Government forces launched the offensive to recapture Falluja almost four weeks ago, after besieging the city and its suburbs for several months.
On Friday, federal police raised the Iraqi flag above the city council building, according to a military statement cited by state television.
"The liberation of the government compound, which is the main landmark in the city, symbolises the restoration of the state's authority," federal police chief Raed Shaker Jawdat was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
Mr Jawdat said government forces had met limited resistance as they advanced and were pursuing militants still inside the city.
Earlier on Thursday, the Iraqi news website Mada Press cited Gen Saadi as saying that "scores of militants" had been killed as the Industrial District was retaken.