Iraqi Army Asks Residents of Ramadi to Leave the City

Following recent advances by Iraqi forces against the group known as the 'Islamic State', the army of Iraq has requested residents of the city of Ramadi, parts of which are still under the control of 'ISIS', to leave the city within 72 hours. According to reports, Iraqi army aircraft on December 20th distributed leaflets asking residents of Ramadi to leave the city via designated 'safe routes'. It appears that the armed forces are preparing for operations to completely retake Ramadi. Yahya Rasul, spokesperson for Iraq's Joint Operations, told Reuters that 'all security forces are prepared to face civilians who are heading towards them'. Two weeks ago, Iraqi security and military forces managed to take back a large part of Ramadi from the control of the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, is one of the most important cities in Iraq and a financial and customs hub in the region known as 'Wilayat al-Furat', which is under the control of the 'Islamic State' in parts of Syria and Iraq. This city was captured by extremists last spring. With the advance of Iraqi forces, the U.S. Department of Defense has also announced readiness to send advisors and military helicopters to the region. The Pentagon has expressed optimism regarding the current battles. Iraqi counter-terrorism forces are currently clearing areas of Ramadi that have been retaken. Iraqi security forces estimate that around 250 to 300 members of the 'Islamic State' are positioned in the city center. An Iraqi army officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters that '[the distribution of leaflets] means that a large-scale operation to retake the center of Ramadi will begin soon'. The United States, which leads a coalition against the 'Islamic State', has also stated that in recent days it has targeted high-ranking members of the Islamic State in airstrikes in this city.