ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—As Iraqi Shiite militia intensify their attacks on Fallujah, a prominent Sunni tribal chief said Monday that civilians fear indiscriminate shelling and the “actions” of the militia forces.
“The only fear of the people of Anbar and especially Fallujah is the Shiite militia because their actions are not less in scale than those of ISIS towards the people of Anbar,” Sheikh Yahya al-Sunbul told Rudaw.
“The proof is the continuous and indiscriminate bombardment of Fallujah, the looting and destruction that will take place after ISIS leaves as we saw in Tikrit,” Sunbul added.
On Monday the militia command said in a statement that they had retaken parts of ISIS-controlled Fallujah and captured a prominent commander of the group.
Sheikh Sunbul said people fear the militia participation in the military operation for recapturing Fallujah.
“If the people of Tikrit and Diyala are still not allowed to return to their homes despite all the destruction then we fear the same from the militia because they act outside the orders of the armed forces and Prime Minister Abadi,” he explained.
The commander of the Shiite militia known as People Mobilization Forces, Hadi al-Amiri said this week that Fallujah would be liberated before the end of Ramadan.
Sheikh Sunbul however, believes that it would be a long-drawn-out war, saying that the Iraqi army and militia have been attacking Fallujah for more than two weeks.
“The battle for Fallujah would be the hardest battle in Iraq,” said the Sunni Sheikh. “Fallujah has seen many battles in recent years and it has resisted all the invaders.”
“I do not expect Fallujah to be liberated in a short time despite Hadi Amiri’s pledge to pray in Fallujah in two days,” Sunbul concluded. “I don’t see any such thing in the horizon.”
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