43 Killed, 62 Wounded As Iraq Prepares to Assault Falluja

Iraq has apparently begun a major operation in the Falluja region. Scores of civilians have been killed, but the number of militant casualties is unknown. At least 43 were killed, mostly civilians, and 62 more were wounded.

In Anbar:

Telecommunications were down in several cities.

Heavy artillery fire in Falluja killed 23 civilians and wounded 50 more. A roadside bomb killed one person and wounded five more who were fleeing the city. Many families have been displaced by the shelling. Two gunmen were killed. Security operations were also launched in nearby areas; this may be the beginning of a major operation in the city itself.

Security forces killed three militants who breached the border from Syria.

A major military operation was launched in the Ramadi region.

Elsewhere:

Gunmen killed four Yazidi farmers in Rabeaa.

In Qayara, a bomb killed three policemen and wounded two more.

Two ISIS/DAASH militants were killed in a clash near Baquba. A roadside bomb killed an officer and a soldier and wounded another.

A bomb wounded three policemen in Mosul.

In Tikrit, an explosion followed by gunfire left three policemen dead and a fourth wounded.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.