Off the wire
• New lender in ROK extends Alibaba's banking presence outside China  • Somalia regional states urged to de-escalate tensions  • India's Congress party chief is in U.S. for health check-up  • Foreign exchange rates in Singapore  • FOCAC Summit to revitalize Sino-Africa ties, unleash mutual benefits: envoy  • 1st LD: Xi meets Obama ahead of UN climate conference, pledging cooperation  • Mazda to recall vehicles over fire risks  • UN climate change conference kicks off in Paris, China's Xi to deliver speech  • Roundup: Singapore stocks end down 0.11 pct  • Burkina Faso's poll faced with logistical challenges  
You are here: 　 Home

Iraqi military urges civilians in IS-held Ramadi to leave

Xinhua, November 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Iraqi military command on Monday called on families in Ramadi, now under control of the Islamic State (IS) group, to leave the city ahead of a possibly imminent operation to retake the capital of Iraq's western Anbar province.

A brief statement, broadcast on the state-run television of Iraqiya, requested that the families leave the city from Himairiyah area in the southern Ramadi, some 110 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

IS militants have in the past prevented civilians from leaving Ramadi and other IS-held cities and towns in order to use them as human shields against possible attacks. However, many have managed to escape despite the IS threat to execute them.

Iraqi security forces and allied Hashd Shaabi paramilitary units have recently recaptured several areas on the edges of Ramadi as part of their operations to flush out IS militants from the city.

They have been fighting for months to retake control of key cities and towns in Iraq's largest province from IS militants, who have seized most of Anbar and tried to advance toward Baghdad. Endit