Iraq PM pledges to eliminate militants in Anbar Province
Iran Press TV
Sat Jan 4, 2014 4:30PM GMT
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has promised to eliminate "all terrorist groups" in the western province of Anbar, where al-Qaeda militants have taken control of parts of two cities.
'We will not back down until we end all terrorist groups and save our people in Anbar,' Maliki said on Saturday.
The remarks came as security forces and Sunni tribesmen are fighting with al-Qaeda militants over the control of the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.
Earlier reports said militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took control of parts of the two cities.
The cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in Anbar Province have been the scene of deadly clashes between security forces and al-Qaeda-affiliated militants over the past days.
According to security officials, fighting between security forces and tribesmen on the one side and the ISIL militants on the other side killed nearly 100 people in Fallujah and Ramadi on Friday.
Clashes erupted in Ramadi on Monday after security forces removed an anti-government camp. The violence later spread to nearby Fallujah, where security forces withdrew from some areas.
The move prompted 44 Iraqi MPs to announce their resignation and call for 'the withdrawal of the army.'
The withdrawal cleared the way for the ISIL militants.
The people of Fallujah and Ramadi soon called for the return of the army to the restive cities to restore order and confront pro-al-Qaeda militants.
SAB/SS
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