Iraqi commander says Fallujah victory days awayJune 8, 2016 - 15:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The commander of Iraq's operation to retake Fallujah from the Islamic State said Tuesday, June 7 victory was days away, but progress was slowed by huge numbers of bombs and traps, AFP reports. "The security forces are advancing towards central Fallujah from the southern side but doing so cautiously, to preserve civilian lives," Lieutenant-General Abdelwahab al-Saadi told AFP. "In the coming days, we will declare the liberation of Fallujah," said Saadi, overall commander of the operation launched on May 22-23 to retake the extremist bastion west of Baghdad. The Joint Operations Command admitted that progress was being slowed by the astounding number of improvised explosive devices laid by IS in the city, AFP says. "There are tunnels and between 150 and 200 bombs are defused every 100 metres (yards)," it said in a statement. "Our information is that IS has prepared car bombs which they are hiding in homes, with the intention of attacking us when we enter," the operations command said. The Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force, which is dominated by Shiite militias that have so far operated on the periphery of the city, warned they would move in if the operation dragged on. Elite forces have struggled to push deep into Fallujah over the past week, citing both tough resistance from IS and concern for the plight of an estimated 50,000 trapped civilians. Close to 20,000 people have fled outlying areas but very few have been able to slip out of the center, where IS is using them as human shields. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |