Islamic State (IS) militants have launched an attack on Ramadi, capital of Iraq's western Anbar Province.
Security officials said IS fighters pounded Ramadi’s center with mortar rounds on November 21, while clashes broke out around the city.
Hathal al-Fahdawi, a local council member for Anbar Province, said mosques broadcast appeals for “anyone who can carry weapons to confront the attackers."
Most of Ramadi, 100 kilometers west of Baghdad, is held by IS militants who control large parts of northern and western Iraq.
In Anbar, only a handful of pockets remain under the control of Iraqi security forces backed by Shi’ite militias and Sunni Arab tribal fighters.
Losing Ramadi would be a setback for government forces after they broke a siege by IS fighters of the country's largest refinery this week.
