Advancement of the Islamic State Group in Anbar Province, Iraq

On Saturday, December 21, Islamic State group forces captured a city in Anbar province, killing 19 police officers while simultaneously downing two helicopters belonging to the Iraqi army. According to the Associated Press, the helicopters were shot down in the city of Samarra, which is considered a holy city for Shiites. A senior official from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense told the Associated Press that Islamic State militants used shoulder-fired weapons to bring down the helicopters. The report suggests that the Islamic State group may have acquired advanced anti-aircraft equipment during the capture of some military bases in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Islamic State forces killed at least 19 police officers after seizing the city of Al-Wafa in western Anbar province. The report states that other police forces are besieged at their command center in Al-Wafa. The city of Al-Wafa is located 45 kilometers west of the provincial capital, Ramadi. According to Reuters, with the capture of Al-Wafa, the Islamic State group has taken control of three major cities west of Ramadi. The group and the Iraqi army have been fighting for months over Ramadi, which is under the control of the Iraqi government. The report indicates that the fall of Al-Wafa occurred following a sudden attack by Islamic State forces. The mayor of Al-Wafa told Reuters that police forces had been battling the Islamic State group since Friday but were forced to retreat due to a lack of ammunition and lost the city. He expressed disappointment that the defenders of Al-Wafa received no support and were left alone. The police forces defending Al-Wafa had the support of members of several Sunni tribes, but the Islamic State group's attack left some of them besieged. The mayor, speaking by phone with Reuters, added, 'We are trapped at the headquarters of the 18th police brigade, and if government forces do not come to our aid, we will be destroyed.' In the meantime, Islamic State forces executed 21 members of Iraqi Sunni tribes after capturing the city of Al-Baghdadi in western Anbar province last Wednesday. Al-Baghdadi, located west of Ramadi, has been besieged by Islamic State forces for about two months. The group controls significant parts of western and northern Iraq, including Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq. On the other hand, according to Reuters, Michael Fallon, the British Defense Minister, told the Daily Telegraph on Saturday that the UK would send hundreds of its military personnel to train Iraqi government forces and Kurdish Peshmerga. This action by David Cameron's government is aimed at combating the Islamic State group. Previously, 3,000 U.S. military personnel were sent to Iraq for a similar training mission. Meanwhile, the Islamic State is in a 'defensive position' in some areas of Iraq, according to the U.S. Secretary of State, who stated that defeating the Islamic State will take years. Iraqi forces have regained two cities in Diyala province from the Islamic State, and the U.S. is increasing the pace of training for Iraqi security forces. The Iraqi army has regained the city of 'Baiji' from the Islamic State.