23 April 2014

Today gunmen launched an attack on the town of Al-Hamidhiya, northeast of Ramadi. Sixteen gunmen were killed and 4 local police personnel were injured in the attack.

Meanwhile limited intermittent clashes have been going on in a number of Ramadi's outer districts. The central and northeastern districts have been relatively quiet.

In Fallujah, today is the third day of the total blockade around the city after the closure of the Maftoul exit/entry point.

The city is still experiencing indiscriminate shelling of many of its districts. Three residents have been killed and 7 have been injured by the shelling.

Regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Anbar Election Commission has moved a polling station from central Ramadi to the Ayn Al-Asad base in Al-Baghdadi township in western Anbar. Activity is continuing with the aim of ensuring success in the voting. The Anbar Governorate Council and some political observers are concerned about the possibility of vote-rigging at the transferred polling station which is now located at an army base where some parties may try to falsify the balloting.