Iraqi forces closed in on Ramadi on Tuesday and launched an operation aimed at cutting off the ISIS jehadis in Anbar province before a major offensive to retake the city. Ten days after the Islamic State group’s shock capture of the capital of Iraq’s largest province, a spokesman said the latest operation was only a preparatory move before an assault on Ramadi.
The operation will see a mix of security forces and paramilitaries move south towards the city from Salaheddin province, said Hashed al-Shaabi spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi.
The Hashed al-Shaabi (“popular mobilisation” in Arabic) is an umbrella group for mostly Shiite militia and volunteers, which the Government called in after the Islamic State group captured Ramadi on May 17. “The operation’s goal is to liberate those regions between Salaheddin and Anbar and try to isolate the province of Anbar,” Assadi told AFP.
He said it had been dubbed “Operation labaik ya Hussein”, which roughly translates as “We are at your service, Hussein” and refers to one of the most revered imams in Shiite Islam. The Hashed said 4,000 men were heading to the northern edge of Ramadi. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his US allies had been reluctant to deploy Iran-backed Shiite militia in Anbar, a predominantly Sunni province.