Iraq situation 'critical' as violence claims more lives

The so-called Islamic State group launched an offensive in Iraq's western Anbar province on Wednesday, capturing three villages near the provincial capital of Ramadi and forcing villagers to flee from their homes, as fierce clashes were underway between extremists and government troops, residents said.

"IS attacked the region of Boughanem, east of Ramadi" a local source in Anbar told al-Araby al-Jadeed.  

"After clashes with tribesmen and security forces, it was able to storm and seize it" the source also said, adding that security forces withdrew as IS advanced.

Hundreds of families remain trapped in the area, according to the source.

A local Iraqi official told CNN that Ramadi "could fall within hours" following the capture.

In the dawn advance, IS fighters seized the villages of Sjariyah, Albu-Ghanim and Soufiya, which had also been under government control till now, the residents said.

Fighting was also taking place on the eastern edges of Ramadi, about two kilometres (mile) away from local government building, they added.

In Soufiya, the militants bombed a police station and took over a power plant. The residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing for their own safety, said airstrikes were trying to back up Iraqi troops. Iraqi security officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Around noon Wednesday, the militants opened another front with the government troops on three other villages, to the northeast of Ramadi, the residents also said.

An Iraqi intelligence official said the militants were preparing to launch another offensive from the western side of the city, describing the situation as "critical."

The IS was also trying to take control of the main highway that goes through Ramadi, to cut off supplies, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Tahseen Ibrahim, acknowledged on Wednesday that Islamic State militants "gained a foothold in some areas" in Anbar.

But he said reinforcements were dispatched to the province and that US-led coalition airstrikes were supporting the Iraqi forces.

"The situation is under control and the standoff will be resolved in the coming hours," Ibharim told The Associated Press.

He added, however, that most of the villagers in the area had fled from their homes amid the fighting but gave no details.

The Tribal Council of Anbar held the central government and the prime minister directly responsible for what he termed as "a dangerous security collapse in Ramadi."

Sheikh Mahmoud al-Jumaili told al-Araby al-Jadeed, "Since the government has been formed, it has been stalling the arming of tribes and local police."

"Today, it left them to face their fate without weapons, which caused the security collapse," Jumaili added.

Ongoing violence

IS also launched an extensive attack on the town of Dujail, south of Tikrit, on Tuesday night.

A security source in the Iraqi governorate of Salahuddin told al-Araby al-Jadeed that the attack stopped for a few hours before resuming more extensively on Wednesday morning, prompting security leaders in the region to request military reinforcements from the government.

"The IS besieged the town from the four sides of al-Maqale, al-Tal, Sayed Gharib and al-Sumail” the source said, adding that both sides of the battle suffered dozens of deaths and injuries, with number yet to be confirmed.

The Salahuddin security committee requested urgent government intervention through reinforcements and airstrikes to end the battle after the violent attack.

This attack comes hours after IS’ advancement in the Salahuddin district of Baiji, where they seized control of Iraq’s largest oil refinery.

A source said the situation was "dangerous" after it became clear that IS was trying to "regain control of the governorate."

He added that IS fighters opened several battlefronts north and south of the governorate to force the army and militias out of Tikrit.

Iraq's promises

Iraq's prime minister says his forces intend to liberate the western Anbar province and secure the strategic town of Beiji before taking aim at the northern city of Mosul, which has been held by Islamic State fighters since last June.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi discussed the military campaign in an interview Wednesday with a small group of American reporters a day after he met with President Barack Obama.

Yet after a strategic Iraqi victory in Tikrit, south of Beiji, the Islamic State group launched its own offensive in Anbar Wednesday. It captured three villages near the provincial capital of Ramadi.

The recapture of Tikrit was the Iraqi government's first major victory in Iraq's Sunni heartland.