In past operations, Iraqi forces have gone to great lengths to surround territory before clearing it to try to prevent ISIL fighters from escaping. The assault on Fallujah is the first major offensive in an urban area since Iraqi forces cleared Ramadi of ISIL fighters earlier this year. The latest estimates put the number of ISIL fighters in all of Anbar province at about 1,000 and “dropping quickly,” Davis said. On Sunday, the Iraqi military repeated calls for civilians to leave, and Davis said leaflets were dropped to warn the population. After more than two years in firm control of Fallujah, ISIL fighters are expected to have knitted their way into the civilian population on a greater scale than previously seen in Ramadi or Tikrit.

Source: National Post May 23, 2016 20:22 UTC