Iraqi security forces say they have seized the southern edge of the city of Fallujah in a push by the government to recapture the stronghold of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group.
Lieutenant General Abdel Wahab al-Saadi said on June 5 that his forces are prepared to enter Fallujah after they secured the Naymiyah neighborhood south of the main city.
Fallujah became the first city in Iraq captured by IS forces when it fell in January 2014.
Iraqi forces, with air support from the U.S.-led coalition and backing from Shi'ite militias, launched the offensive to retake Fallujah two weeks ago but have faced heavy resistance from IS fighters and concerns about the presence of some 50,000 civilians there.
The city is one of the last strongholds in Iraq for IS forces, which also control the country's second-largest city, Mosul.
Al-Saadi added that IS fighters battling elite Iraqi forces on Fallujah's southern edge on June 5 were offering "some resistance" but "a little less than in previous days."
He said that police forces on the northern edge of Fallujah were nearing the train station but had yet to reach the city limits.
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Iranian IRGC Warship Crosses Equator For First Time
2Exclusive: The TikTok Trail Of The U.S. Soldier Arrested In Russia Left By His Russian 'Wife'
3Kazakh Billionaire Buys English Soccer Club
4Xi Heads To Europe Looking For A Larger Chinese Role In Ukraine
5Russia Claims Control Over Eastern Ukrainian Town, As Rocket Strikes Kill 3
6U.S. Weapons Are Coming To Ukraine. But Russian Forces Have The Momentum.
7Truck Careens Into Children In Kyrgyzstan; Dozens Injured, 3 Seriously
8Chinese-Made Surveillance Cameras Are Spreading Across Eastern Europe, Despite Security Concerns
9Why Are U.S. Sanctions Against Iran's Oil Exports Ineffective?
102 U.S. Citizens, Including Soldier, Join List Of Americans Being Held In Russia
Subscribe