Local Editor

Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces ready to liberate Ramadi city in Anbar province

The Iraqi Prime Minister ordered on Sunday the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), joined by the Iraqi army and security forces, to liberate the city of Ramadi seized by terrorists of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) takfiri group.

The call of Haidar Abadi was a response to the appeal of the government and tribal sheikhs to take a move to recapture the occupied city which lies only 112km west of the capital, Baghdad, after 500 people are estimated to have died in several days of fighting.

The PMF (Known in Arabic as Hashid Shaabi), were key actor to the recapture of Tikrit city, north of Baghdad from ISIL in April 2015.

Abadi also ordered all military units and counter-terrorism forces, as well as the federal police, not to leave their positions during operations in Anbar, the official Iraqi TV channel reported.

Anbar tribes had demanded earlier the PM to send urgent security reinforcements and to drive the PMF into the city of Ramadi. However, the government called for the closure of the open border between Syrian and Iraq.

PMF Security spokesman, Youssef al-Kalabi, said that the group forces are ready to enter the Anbar province and to liberate it from the control of ISIL, pointing out that the entry to the city is up to PM Abadi.

Moreover, Hezbollah Brigades of Iraq declared the "general alert" among fighters, and called on the authorized "mujahideen" to join their posts immediately.

The PMF commanders were quoted as saying they had orders and plans to deploy to Ramadi but did not say when.

ISIL occupied swathes of northern Iraq in June 2014, and declared the 'caliphate' over the seized territries, displacing residents and attacking security forces and civilians.