ISIS Launches Severe Counterattack Against Iraqi Army in Fallujah

On Tuesday, June 1, Islamic State militants launched a severe counterattack, halting the Iraqi Army's operations in the southern region of Fallujah. Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned about the potential use of civilians by ISIS as 'human shields.' According to Reuters, the operation to liberate Fallujah, supported by Iranian forces and the U.S.-led international coalition, has been described as one of the largest anti-ISIS operations in recent years. Fallujah fell to the Islamic State group in 2014. A week after the Iraqi government announced the start of operations to retake Fallujah, a large number of army forces began their operations around the city on Monday, securing the southern parts of Fallujah but failing to approach the central areas. The Baghdad government has declared the operation to reclaim Fallujah from ISIS, supported by the U.S., as a turning point in the fight against this group. U.S. soldiers fought many battles with Islamist groups in Fallujah between 2003 and 2011, and the city can be considered one of the main bases of the Islamic State group and a center for suicide bombings in Baghdad, which is only half an hour away from Iraq's capital. Retaking Fallujah from ISIS militants is a test for the Iraqi Army, which must balance reclaiming territory occupied by the group while also protecting civilian lives. Despite many citizens fleeing their homes during the first six months of the city's occupation, approximately 50,000 people remain trapped in Fallujah, facing severe restrictions in obtaining water, food, and access to medical facilities. The United Nations has reported that the Islamic State group has taken several hundred families hostage in central Fallujah as human shields. ISIS has previously used this tactic in its battles in other parts of Iraq. According to the UN, about 3,700 citizens have managed to flee Fallujah in the past week.