Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of a military operation to retake Falluja from the Islamic State militants. Falluja was the first city to fall to the IS in 2014 and is one of only two of its remaining strongholds in Iraq.
Iraq’s military has already warned civilians to leave the town. The Iraqi military told state TV that those who could not flee should raise a white flag above their homes. The military, police and volunteer fighters virtually surround the city, about 65 kilometers west of Baghdad.