ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Dozens of families have escaped Ramadi and turned to army units that are fighting their way into the city in a fierce battle with Islamic State (ISIS), a local official said. Azal Fahdawi, member of the Anbar provincial council told media that the families fled to Western Ramadi to seek safety with the army. The recent army advance into the city and pushing back ISIS militants made it possible for the families to get away and avoid the confrontations. Some 10,000 Iraqi soldiers, policemen, and Shiite militia launched a major offensive to retake Ramadi several months after it fell to the extremist group. Backed by US airstrikes, the troops have recaptured parts of the city in the last three days. The army Chief of Staff General Othman al-Ghanemi told the Iraqi state TV that the operation will take days. Earlier in the week the army reported that ISIS militants prevented people from leaving the city and used them as human shields.
