[An Nahar] Iraqi forces launched an operation Friday to retake areas near the turban-held city of Fallujah in preparation for an eventual assault, a senior officer said, as violence killed 11 people.Anti-government fighters have held Fallujah,
...
the City of Mosques, which might have somthing to do with why it's not called
Center of Prosperityor
a really nice place to raise your kids...
just a short drive from Storied Baghdad, and shifting parts of Anbar scenic provincial capital Ramadi, farther west, since early January.
"A military operation was launched... to eliminate the ISIL organization and liberate Fallujah," a senior army officer said, referring to powerful jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original...
.
"The operation will continue until an assault on Fallujah," the officer said.
But such an assault is unlikely to occur soon, as security forces have struggled all year to retake territory in Anbar from turbans.
And they would face major challenges in actually assaulting Fallujah, an operation that would likely cause massive damage to the city and carry significant risks of civilian casualties.
Shelling and festivities began in and around Fallujah about 3:00 am (0000 GMT) on Friday and continued for hours, a tribal leader said.
Eight people were killed and nine maimed, according to Dr Ahmed Shami of Fallujah's main hospital
Among the dead were two children, while another two children were maimed, he said.