At Least 18 Killed In Iraq's Anbar Province

  • By RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq

At least 18 civilians were killed and dozens wounded in violence on June 28 across Iraq's western Anbar Province.

The highest death toll was reported in Fallujah, where hospital sources said 15 people -- including women and children -- were killed and 27 wounded by indiscriminate shelling by both security forces and Islamic State (IS) militants.

Several residential areas were hit by mortar and rocket fire.

The IS group controls Fallujah, while Iraqi government troops have recaptured areas in the city's outskirts.

At least 11 IS militants were reported killed by security forces in clashes in the Bu-Farraj and Hit areas.

Three civilians were killed in Hit, where government forces have been targeting IS positions over the past two days.

IS militants seized much of Anbar, a Sunni heartland, in January 2014.

Anbar's provincial capital, Ramadi, fell to IS fighters last month.

Earlier in June, Washington announced it would send up to 450 troops to a new base in Anbar, mainly to advise the Iraqis on the planning and execution of a counteroffensive against IS fighters.

Meanwhile, a military commander in Anbar announced on June 28 that more than 1,000 tribal volunteers have completed training and were deployed to support government forces.