Collateral damage possible in Ramadi operation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Iraqi Defense Ministry announced in a press release today in Baghdad that the operation of liberating Ramadi has begun while Islamic State (IS) militants have prevented the trapped civilian families from leaving the center of the town.

The town of Ramadi, the capital city of Anbar province about 100 kilometers west of Baghdad, fell under IS control last May. Losing Ramadi was a major failure for the Iraqi Army against the Islamic militants.

Since November, the Iraqi Army continuously conducted a series of military operations to regain the control of the city. In the early stages of Ramadi’s liberation until November, the Iraqi forces cut IS supply lines to the town. According to Iraqi intelligence, about 250 to 300 militants are still trapped in the center of the town.

The press release by Iraqi Defense Ministry mentions today’s operation is carried out in coordination with the U.S.-led coalition. Earlier today the Iraqi Army's chief of staff Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Ghanemi announced the start of the operation during a press conference in Baghdad.

The mission of Iraqi forces in Ramadi operation is to free the center of the city from the remaining IS militants. However, Naseer Nuri, the spokesman of the Iraqi Defense Ministry, stated yesterday in a press release in Baghdad that there are still civilian families in the center of Ramadi.

On Sunday, Iraqi airplanes dropped leaflets on Ramadi asking civilians to evacuate the town within 72 hours. But IS jihadists prevented the civilian families from leaving the battlefield, Nuri said.