Reinforcements were deployed to the Ain al-Asad base in preparation for an assault on Hit and Kubeisa. These towns are upstream from Ramadi. Falluja, which has been begging for help, lies in the opposite direction.
A protest of sorts broke out on social media when a cleric, Sheikh Jalaleddin al-Saghir, called on Iraqis to give up eating chocolate as a way to break through economic malaise.
The former head of the National Security Agency, Gen. Michael Hayden, blamed intelligence agencies for the wrong conclusion on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.
The Iraqi government has reportedly begun building a wall around Baghdad.
At least 239 were killed and 56 were wounded:
Eight civilians were killed over the last two weeks in Ramadi when returning to booby-trapped homes. Police killed five militants near town.
Militants staged a large attack on Hamediya, killing six soldiers and wounding 10 more. At least 50 militants were killed before being repulsed.
In Dour, a roadside bomb killed four people and wounded two more, all from the same family.
Four militiamen were killed and three were wounded when a bomb exploded in Makhmour.
A bomb in Baghdad killed two people and wounded eight more.
In Baquba, a sticky bomb killed the provincial police chief and a bodyguard.
Forty militants were killed and 24 were wounded in strikes on Mosul. Militants executed 36 of their own for refusing to fight.
Security forces killed 35 militants in Zaidan.
In Hadher, 26 militants were killed.
Security forces killed 15 militants in Zankura.
Five militants were skilled and nine were wounded in an airstrike on Riyadh.
A sniper killed a Daesh judge in Falluja.
