Iraqi special forces launched an assault on one of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group’s most emblematic bastions, Fallujah, as the group counter-attacked in both Iraq and neighboring Syria. The assault was launched in the early hours of Monday morning. Troops entered the city from three directions. Fighting on Monday followed battles a day earlier, adding to the exodus of thousands of desperate civilians from the surrounding areas and deep concern for the many more trapped in the battlegrounds. The week-old operation to liberate Fallujah has so far focused on retaking villages and rural areas close to the central city, which lies just 50km west of Baghdad.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/iraqi-army-launches-assault-isil-fallujah-160530053337977.html
