Iraq

Iraq forces clash militants in Anbar amid Ramadi curfew

Iraq RamadiIraqi forces have clashed with al-Qaeda-linked militants in the western province of Anbar, reports say, as the conflict continues in the restive province.

The government forces have reportedly imposed a curfew on the city of Ramadi in Anbar Province, with all communication networks being cut off.

Iraqi troops, backed by local tribesmen, have been fighting against the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Anbar over the past few months.

Violence hiked in Iraq’s Anbar in December 2013, when the army removed an anti-government protest camp in Ramadi. Authorities said the camp was used as “headquarters for the leadership of al-Qaeda.” The bloodshed later spread to the nearby city of Fallujah.

The recent clashes have sparked concerns that militants could be planning to open a new front against government forces.

The government in Iraq has blamed Riyadh for the chaos, saying the Saudi regime is funding and arming militants in the country’s western areas.

Last month, the UN envoy to Iraq Nickolay Mladenov said some 400,000 people have been displaced so far this year by the growing violence in Anbar.

According to figures released by the United Nations, at least 8,000 people lost their lives in the country last year — the highest death toll since a peak of violence in Iraq in 2007.

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