Iraq: Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) seized control of parts of Fallujah and Ramadi
Reports from Iraq say armed groups have seized parts of the western cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.
Fighting erupted in Anbar Province on December 30 after security forces tore down a protest camp near Ramadi, inflaming simmering tensions between local Sunni Arabs and the Shi’ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Security forces have since withdrawn from some areas of Ramadi and Fallujah.
AFP news agency quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying on January 2 that half of Fallujah was in the hands of an Al-Qaeda-linked group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.