Iraqi forces withdraw from Ramadi in battle with ISIL
Source: USA Today
Iraqi forces withdrew from the provincial capital of Ramadi on Sunday in a major setback that could let the key city fall to Islamic State militants, a member of the provincial council said.
Ramadi is the latest battleground in the Iraqi government's efforts to drive out Islamic State militants from areas the militants seized last year. With the help of U.S.-led airstrikes, the Iraqi forces and Kurdish fighters had made gains against the Islamic State elsewhere in the country, including re-capturing the northern city of Tikrit.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi appeared on state television Sunday and ordered his country's security forces not to abandon their posts in Anbar province, which includes Ramadi. He also ordered Shiite militias to go into the Sunni-dominated region, despite concerns of sparking sectarian violence, the Associated Press reported.
Athal al-Fahdawi, a member of the Anbar province council, said the Islamic State launched a large offensive Sunday and has taken control of most of the city after initially capturing government buildings late last week.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/05/17/iraq-ramadi-anbar-islamic-state-baghdad/27488987/
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