Though the official Pentagon statement only confirmed gains along the outskirts, Iraq’s military is claiming they’ve captured some 60% of the Anbar Province capital city of Ramadi, believing they’ll retake the entire city in short order.
Iraq’s Joint Military Command said the 60% included the former military headquarters in northern Ramadi, as well as other portions of the city’s south and west. They reported dozens of ISIS fighters killed, but refused to comment on casualties among Iraqi troops.
ISIS initially seized Ramadi back in May, and the Iraqi government at the time claimed they were confident they’d retake the city in a matter of days. This led to a protracted effort to surround the city, resulting in major casualties.
Ultimately, however, the city was surrounded, and reports are ISIS has been using the river as a primary source of supplies for their fighters defending the area. Six-plus months of control has also afforded them a lot of time to set up IEDs and other traps for Iraqi forces, which will likely make this a longer operation than the military is presenting it today.