The deputy chief of Anbar’s Provincial Council said Iraqi forces are in control of Ramadi and most foreign fighters have retreated from their positions. Fasil Esaw, deputy chief for Anbar’s Provincial Council, told Rudaw, “According to information we have obtained, all non-Iraqi ISIS members that were fighting the Iraqi security forces have withdrawn from their bases, and have left Iraq through the Syrian border.” He added, “The city of Ramadi is under the control of the security forces and the situation is safe and calm.” He said Tamim, Hamziya and Abussiya areas of Anbar province are still under IS control, and “clashes between the security forces and IS (fighters) are continuing in these areas.” The reported retreated by Islamic State (IS/formerly known as ISIS) militants came after the governor of Anbar province, Ahmed Khalaf al-Dulaimi, told Reuters on Thursday that the US military had promised to provide air support and intelligence sharing to stop IS advances in Anbar. IS has declared the establishment of an Islamic state after seizing Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul in June. Sunni insurgents have controlled large areas of Anbar province since earlier this year.
