Iraqi soldiers backed by Sunni tribesmen have launched a major operation to retake a section of the city of Ramadi seized by Islamic State (IS) fighters.
The fighting focused on Ramadi's eastern Sijariya neighborhood, which the extremist group said it captured November 21.
The IS has been trying to seize Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, for months now.
An unnamed official with the Anbar provincial council reported heavy fighting in the area on November 22, with both sides firing mortars.
Meanwhile, officials said on November 22 that IS militants have killed 25 members of a Sunni Muslim tribe during their assault on Ramadi, in apparent revenge for the tribe's backing of the Iraqi army.
They said the bodies of the men from the Albu Fahd tribe were discovered after the army launched the counteroffensive against IS fighters.
