As the tensions in Anbar province continue, residents are left wondering who the masked gunmen in Falluja really are. Some doubt that the gunmen are members of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Others believe labeling them as al-Qaeda is merely part of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s re-election campaign. In any case, local authorities are hoping to prevent a full military assault from Baghdad. Shelling killed one civilian and wounded four more, including a woman and a child.
Meanwhile, a tribal military commander said that most of Ramadi is now in the hands of the tribes or police forces. Five gunmen were killed in a clash. Shelling left one civilian dead and five more wounded.
Two roadside bombs in targeting a border guards convoy left four dead and 30 wounded near Haditha.
In Mosul, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives on a bridge but failed to harm anyone but himself. Security forces killed four gunmen, including a "wali". An I.E.D. killed two soldiers.
A roadside bomb in Kut killed a teacher.
