Iraqi commander says Fallujah victory days away

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.