Iraq forces battle ISIL in Ramadi

Iraqi forces have entered the center of Ramadi, a key city held by ISIL.

A spokesman of the Iraqi counter-terrorism services said “The city will be completely cleaned in the next 72 hours,” and added that Iraqi forces were advancing “without much resistance except from snipers and suicide bombers.”

The fall of Ramadi was seen as a major defeat since ISIL fighters began operating in areas in the country’s north and west, that included city of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest in 2014.

Since then, government forces have trying to recapture the city with support from an international coalition led by the US.

Last week, military officials felt that there was not more than 300 fighters in Ramadi, about 120km from the capital Baghdad. Ramadi was captured by ISIL in May.

The army says it now controls more than half of the city, including a key military command centre.