Iraq PM defends decree to send troops to Anbar

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has come out in support of his decision to send the country’s army to the western province of Anbar to fight pro-al-Qaeda militants.

In a Wednesday statement, Nouri al-Maliki stressed that the fight against terrorism would continue in the restive province, noting that the army is committed to hunting down the militants and armed groups in the area.

Maliki also warned about the crisis which threatens Iraq’s national security, accusing some political groups of fanning the flames of sectarianism in the province.

His statements came after security forces dismantled an anti-government protest site which had become a breeding ground for pro-al-Qaeda militants in the city of Ramadi on Monday.

On Tuesday, Iraqi security officials said three gunmen and an Iraqi soldier were killed, while three other gunmen were wounded in the skirmishes which erupted in Ramadi.

Tuesday casualties came a day after a total of 13 people, including three policemen, were killed in clashes in the city on Monday.

Following clashes on Monday, forty-four members of the Iraqi parliament announced their resignation after security forces dismantled the protest camp located west of the capital, Baghdad.

The lawmakers’ resignation was announced at a televised news conference during which they called for “the withdrawal of the army.”

Iraq has been the scene of anti-government demonstrations since December 2012, when the bodyguards of then Finance Minister Rafa al-Essawi were arrested on terrorism-related charges.

The United Nations says at least 8,000 people have lost their lives in Iraq in 2013.