Islamic State group launches dawn offensive on Ramadi

The Islamic State group has attacked several villages to the east of Ramadi, the capital city of Anbar province, in a dawn offensive on Friday.

A local police source told al-Araby al-Jadeed that fighters from the IS group (formerly known as Isis) attempted to seize areas close to the Japanese bridge and a major intersection on the international highway linking Jordan and Iraq.

The source said that the attack was meant to cut off supply lines for the Iraqi Army and the tribal groups supporting it.

Many families have started to flee Ramadi following battles in the city and its outskirts during the past two days.

At least ten people were killed and 30 injured in a coordinated attack on Wednesday involving the near-simultaneous detonation of seven car bombs.

Islamic State group gunmen now control more than three quarters of Ramadi, said the police source.

Retreat

Meanwhile, east of Ramadi in the restive Anbar province, Iraqi troops and the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation militia retreated to the outskirts of Karmat al-Fallujah after battles with IS fighters, eyewitnesses told al-Araby.

Many troops and militias are stationed in the "Iraqi factory" area in the east of Al-Karmah, 16km north-east of Fallujah in central Iraq.

Scores of families have started to return to these areas, after the army withdrew and the intensity of fighting subsided.

The next few hours are, however, likely to see fresh violence.

Friendly fire denied

The US-led international coalition has denied carrying out air raids that led to the death of Iraqi soldiers.

Colonel Thomas Gilleran told Reuters that the coalition carried out one airstrike 33km from the place where the soldiers were killed.

Another US official, however, said that Iraqi aircraft were also operating nearby. US military figures are coordinating with Iraqi officials over "friendly fire" reports.