Iraqi Forces Begin Operation to Retake Fallujah from ISIS

The Prime Minister of Iraq announced that the operation by security forces and government-backed militias to retake the city of Fallujah, one of the most important strongholds of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, has begun. Fallujah had been captured by ISIS more than two years ago. Haider al-Abadi tweeted on June 3, "The zero hour for the liberation of Fallujah has arrived. The moment of victory is near, and ISIS has no choice but to flee." The official start of the operation came just hours after the Baghdad government asked the citizens of Fallujah to temporarily leave the city using some safe corridors that had been prepared. According to the Prime Minister of Iraq, the operation will involve army units, police, and anti-terror forces alongside tribal militias and a coalition of mainly Shiite militias. Reuters reports that Shiite militia groups, including those supported by Tehran, may mainly be present outside the city, especially as they are involved in the battles in Ramadi, and the government is trying to prevent potential sectarian tensions. The U.S.-led coalition is also expected to provide air cover for the operation and target ISIS positions and forces. Fallujah was captured by ISIS in the winter of 2014, at the beginning of the group's major advances. Shortly thereafter, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria declared a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The city is located 50 kilometers from Baghdad; extremist militants had also made advances towards the Iraqi capital through it, reaching near the international airport of the city. Initial efforts by Iraqi security forces to retake the city, while the country was in a state of political ambiguity, did not yield success. Fallujah has been under siege by the army and militias opposing the "Islamic State" for the past year. The Prime Minister of Iraq stated that the goal of the security forces is to liberate civilians from the grip of ISIS and "terrorism." The Iraqi government has asked citizens who have not been able to leave the city to raise a white flag at their residence; it is said that this method has previously helped prevent civilian casualties.