Fighting erupted today in the Anbar Province, mostly on the outskirts of Fallujah and Ramadi. The fighting was said to be fierce, but there was no word yet on the casualties.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) seized Fallujah late last week, along with parts of Ramadi. The military has threatened to retake the territory, but the fighting has so far been confined to the area outside the cities, with AQI still in firm control inside.
The Maliki government also reported a major air strike against AQI outside of Ramadi, claiming 25 AQI fighters were dead. The strike was not near the fighting, according to officials.
Maliki has vowed to regain control of the cities, but while AQI is the immediate concern, the province is also in revolt, angry with violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters late last month.