Iraq commanders say the operation in Fallujah has stalled because there is no coordination between the disparate security forces fighting the Islamic State militants. While these groups bicker about their various roles, the conditions for civilians in the city are deteriorating quickly. Refugees say that the militants have been using food to bribe residents into joining their tanks.
Iraqi authorities have banned human rights groups from interviewing the alleged victims of Shi’ite militiamen. Hundreds of men are being held in Saqlawiya under the pretense that they being investigated for ties to ISIS. The militiamen deny the allegations.
Hours after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi fired several officials, protesters returned to Tahrir Square to resume their anti-corruption demonstrations. Gone are the general director of Iraqi intelligence, director of the trade bank of Iraq, and head of the Iraqi media network. The directors of the Agricultural, Industrial, Rafidain, Rasheed, and Real Estate banks were also removed from their posts.
At least 99 were killed and 41 more were wounded:
In Mosul, militants executed 65 people.
A car bomb in the holy city of Karbala killed 10 people and wounded 26 more.
In Baghdad, one person was killed and seven were wounded by a blast in Nahrawan.
Five displaced people were killed in a blast in Khazar.
In Haditha, two women were killed when four suicide bombers attacked an asphalt plant.
Gunmen in Muqdadiya killed an elderly man and wounded his wife.
A 14-year-old boy was shot dead in Abu Saida.
Six militants were killed in a strike on Falahat.
Shelling left four militants dead and seven wounded in Albu Ziyab.
