RAMADI: Iraqi troops will delay assaulting the militant-held city of Fallujah, an officer said yesterday, citing fear of civilian casualties, as fighting and missile strikes in nearby Ramadi killed 29 people.
Parts of Ramadi — the capital of Anbar province, west of Baghdad — and all of Fallujah have been outside government control since last week.
It is the first time militants have exercised such open control in major cities since the height of the insurgency that followed the 2003 US-led invasion.
“It is not possible to assault (Fallujah) now” over concerns about civilian casualties, defence ministry spokesman Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Al Askari said.
Attacking the Sunni-majority city would also be extremely politically sensitive, as it would inflame already high tensions between the Sunni Arab minority and the Shia-led government.
It would also be a major test for Iraqi security forces, which have yet to undertake such a major operation without the backing of American troops.
Overnight, security forces and allied tribesmen sought to retake south Ramadi from fighters loyal to Al Qaeda-linked group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, but the assault failed.
Tunisia Islamists set to resign after deal on poll body
TUNIS: Tunisia’s ruling Islamists are preparing to resign in the next few days to make way for a caretaker cabinet once government and opposition parties agree on the makeup of an electoral commission, mediators said on Tuesday.
Three years after its uprising ousted veteran autocratic president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia is in the final stages of its transition to full democracy after months of deadlock between Islamist and secular parties.
Late last year, after a political crisis erupted, the ruling Islamist party Ennahda agreed to hand over power to a caretaker government once a new constitution was complete, an election committee named and a date for elections set.
Tunisia’s national assembly last week began voting on the final parts of the new constitution, and parties on Tuesday were working out disagreements over composition of the election commission to oversee a vote later this year.
The uneasy compromise between Ennahda and the secular opposition in Tunisia’s transition contrasts with instability affecting Libya, Egypt and Yemen, who also ousted leaders in the 2011 Arab Spring.AFP/Reuters
