One reason, these officials and Iraqi commanders say, was how invested Islamic State militants were in... But it took Iraqi forces less than five weeks to defeat the extremist group here, much faster than Iraqi and American officials had expected. FALLUJAH, Iraq—For Islamic State, this city was unlike any other: the birthplace of its movement and the first urban center it seized in a blitz that began the occupation of a third of Iraq.

Source: Wall Street Journal June 29, 2016 15:33 UTC