On Monday, police retook the occupied areas of the city of Fallujah, in the Iraqi province of Anbar, from ISIL terrorists and seized cars and weapons from the militants.

Anbar plunged into violence in December 2013 when the army removed a militant base in the provincial capital Ramadi. Authorities said the camp was used as “headquarters for the leadership of al-Qaeda.”

Iraqi troops, backed by local tribesmen, have since been fighting al-Qaeda-affiliated militants in the region.

On April 15, the Fallujah dam was reportedly seized by militants of the ISIL in the restive province. The militants closed off the dam for days, temporarily halting the water supply to most southern provinces. The lack of water has also resulted in extreme power cuts.

In March, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Saudi Arabia and Qatar were responsible for the security crisis and growing terrorism in his country, denouncing the Al Saud regime as a major supporter of global terrorism.

Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of attacks unprecedented in recent years. Based on official figures, over 1,000 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives in attacks across Iraq in April.

RA/SHI