Iraqi state TV declared the start of the operation, in which troops will be backed by Shiite and Sunni paramilitary forces.

A spokesman for Iraq's Shiite militias said the operation will "not last for a long time" and that Iraqi forces have surrounded the provincial capital, Ramadi, from three sides.

Ahmed al-Assadi, who is also a member of parliament, told reporters that new weapons are being used in the battle "that will surprise the enemy."

The ISIS terrorist group seized parts of Anbar starting in early 2014 and captured Ramadi earlier this month.

Before fall of Ramadi Iraqi forces had been making steady progress against the extremists over the past year.

This week Al-Abadi has called on Shiite militias to help Iraqi troops retake the Sunni province.

The militiamen have played a key role in clawing back territory from the ISIS group elsewhere in Iraq.