DHAKA: The Iraqi government has lost control of the city of Fallujah, which is now held by Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

A senior security official in Anbar province said on Saturday, reports The Straits Times.

‘Fallujah is under the control of ISIL,’ the official said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Parts of Ramadi and Fallujah, west of Baghdad, have been held by militants for days, harkening back to the years after the 2003 US-led invasion when both cities were insurgent strongholds.

Fighting erupted in the Ramadi area on Monday, when security forces removed the main anti-government protest camp set up after demonstrations broke out in late 2012 against what Sunni Arabs say is the marginalisation and targeting of their community.

BDST: 1558 HRS, JAN 04, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor