Iraqi PM urges military to intensify battle for Fallujah liberation

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has urged the country’s military commanders to intensify the liberation operation for the city of Fallujah in Anbar province.

According to Iraq’s al-Maalomah news website, Staff Major General Ismail al-Mahalawi, the head of the Anbar Operations Command, said the Iraqi premier and commander-in-chief made the remarks while visiting the headquarters of the West Baghdad Operations Command in al-Mazraa camp, east of Fallujah.

Abadi called on the military commanders to increase the momentum of the fight against Daesh in order to purge Fallujah of terrorists as soon as possible, Mahalawi added.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Special Operations Command, Yahya Rasool al-Zubaidi, said the security forces are advancing towards the center of Fallujah.

He further said the Daesh terrorists are using the strategy of planting mines and explosive devices to prevent security forces from advancing as they can’t confront the forces, adding, “Our battle is a military engineering” one.

This comes as a commander of the volunteer forces fighting alongside the Iraqi military against Daesh urged the residents of Fallujah to evacuate the city in order to provide the security forces with the appropriate opportunity to purge the city of the Takfiri terrorists.

Hadi al-Ameri, who is also the head of Iraq’s Badr Organization, called on Anbar police, popular forces and the tribes to take part in the liberation operation.

He also called on the local and federal authorities to provide the necessary requirements to receive the residents who have fled the city.

Late last month, the Iraqi prime minister announced the start of the liberation operation of the Daesh-held Fallujah, nearly 70 kilometers west of the capital city of Baghdad.

Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since Daesh terrorists launched an offensive in June 2014, and took control of portions of the Iraqi territory.

Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.