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이라크 정부군이 수니파 무장조직 '이슬람국가'(IS)가 장악한 안바르 주(州)의 주도(州都) 라마디 탈환을 목전에 뒀다.
IS의 기습으로 이라크 정부군이 5월17일 라마디에서 퇴주한 지 7개월여만이다.
사마 알누마니 이라크군 대변인은 27일(현지시간) 오후 로이터통신에 "IS의 근거지인 옛 정부청사 단지에서 IS를 몰아냈다"며 "정부청사 단지를 통제한다는 것은 IS가 라마디에서 패했다는 사실을 의미한다"고 말했다.
누마니 대변인은 AFP통신에도 "IS가 라마디의 정부 청사에서 모두 패퇴했다"고 밝혔다. AFP통신은 IS가 정부청사 단지 주변에 주민들을 '인간방패'로 세우고 라마디 동부로 도주했다고 보도했다.
이라크군이 라마디 탈환에 성공한다면 IS에 빼앗긴 이라크 내 실지 가운데 가장 큰 성과로 평가될 전망이다.
특히 이번 탈환작전엔 IS 격퇴작전의 주축이었던 시아파 민병대가 종파 간 보복 우려로 제외돼 사실상 이라크군의 첫 단독 작전이라는 점에서 의미를 둘 수 있다.
3월 티크리트 탈환작전에선 시아파 민병대가 주도했다.
이에 따라 이라크군이 'IS와 전쟁'을 치를 만한 전투력을 보유했는지를 두고 그간 제기됐던 우려를 어느 정도 씻어낼 수 있을 것으로 보인다.
라마디를 완전히 되찾기엔 시일이 걸릴 것이라는 신중한 전망도 나왔다.
이번 작전을 지휘하는 이스마일 알마흘라위 이라크군 사령관은 이날 AP통신에 "IS의 자살폭탄과 저격수 때문에 이라크군의 진전이 지체되고 있다"며 "정부청사 단지를 완전히 손에 넣으려면 며칠이 더 걸릴 것"이라고 말했다.
라마디 탈환작전이 개시된 이달 22일 이후 정부군과 민간인 사망자는 아직 집계되지 않았다.
바그다드에서 서쪽으로 약 100㎞ 떨어진 라마디는 시리아와 바그다드를 잇는 전략적 요충지다.
라마디가 있는 안바르 주는 수니파 거주지역으로 시아파인 이라크 정부에 대한 반감이 커 IS가 지난해 초 세력을 쉽게 확장할 수 있었다.
현재 라마디를 제외한 안바르 주의 나머지 주요 도시는 여전히 IS의 영향력이 강하다.
하이데르 알아바디 이라크 총리는 정부군이 라마디를 수복하고 IS의 또 다른 거점인 북부 모술까지 탈환하겠다는 의지를 전날 밝힌 바 있다. (연합)
<관련 영문 기사>
Fall of Ramadi flashpoint hands Iraq forces landmark victory
The Islamic State group abandoned its last stronghold in Ramadi Sunday, effectively handing Iraqi forces their biggest victory since last year’s massive jihadist nationwide offensive.
There were still parts of the flashpoint government complex the elite counter-terrorism service could not enter, as jihadists had rigged the entire area with explosives before retreating.
And while pockets of jihadists may remain, Iraqi forces said they no longer faced any resistance, and officials were already congratulating them for liberating Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.
“All Daesh (IS) fighters have left. There is no resistance,” Sabah al-Numan, the counter-terrorism force’s spokesman, told AFP.
“The operation is almost wrapped up”, as a major clearing effort was still needed to allow forces to move in.
People waving Iraqi flags celebrated the Ramadi victory in several cities, including Baghdad and the holy Shiite city of Karbala.
Parliament Speaker Salim al-Juburi issued a statement congratulating the “heroes of the security forces for a great victory, which resulted in the liberation of the city of Ramadi from terrorism.”
The US-led coalition, which was heavily involved in supporting Iraqi forces in Ramadi, also congratulated them on the success of an operation that began soon after they lost the city in May.
“It is the result of many months of hard work by the Iraqi Army, the Counter Terrorism Service, the Iraqi Air Force, local and federal police and tribal fighters all supported by over 600 coalition air strikes since July,” spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.
Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes had punched into the centre of Ramadi on Tuesday, in a final push to retake the city.
Fighting over the past two days had been concentrated around the government complex, whose recapture had become synonymous with victory in the battle for Ramadi.
According to medical sources, 93 members of the security forces were brought in with injuries on Sunday alone.
“The dead bodies are taken directly to the main military hospital” near the airport, said one hospital source.
At least five government fighters have been killed over the past two days alone, but no official has divulged any overall toll for the operation.
Estimates a week ago were that the Islamic State had around 400 fighters to defend central Ramadi, many of them protecting the government compound.
Those numbers were thought to have drastically declined over the past two days, with several fighters retreating from the main battle and dozens of others killed in fighting or in suicide attacks.
Ali Dawood, the head of the neighbouring Khaldiya council, said IS fighters used civilians as human shields to slip out of the government complex.
“Daesh fighters forced all the families living around the compound to go with them in order to flee towards Sichariyah, Sufiya and Jweiba,” on the eastern outskirts of Ramadi, he said.
He had said on Saturday that more than 250 families had managed to escape the combat zones since the start of the operation and had been escorted to safety by the army.
Ramadi lies about 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad and is the capital of Anbar, which is Iraq’s largest province and borders Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
A victory there would help boost Iraq’s much-criticised military, which collapsed when IS took over large parts of the country in June 2014.
The “Hashed al-Shaabi” (Popular Mobilisation), a force dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias, played a leading role in the recapture of several cities and areas but stayed on the fringes in Ramadi.
“The prestige goes to the Iraqi military,” said political analyst Ihsan al-Shammari.
“As an institution, it’s the first time since the Daesh invasion (in June 2014) it has achieved a victory without the support of the Popular Mobilisation force,” he said.
Shammari argued that the positive outcome in Ramadi would vindicate Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as well as the coalition, both frequently criticised for failing to retake Ramadi faster.
Government forces held off months of IS assaults in Ramadi until May 2015, when the jihadists blitzed them with massive suicide car bombs and seized full control of the city.
The fightback has often been laborious and poisoned by political wrangling, but Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said a week ago that Iraqi forces had reclaimed half of the territory nationwide lost to IS last year.
IS still holds Fallujah, which lies in the Euphrates Valley between Ramadi and Baghdad, as well as the country’s second city of Mosul. (AFP)
Fall of Ramadi flashpoint hands Iraq forces landmark victory
The Islamic State group abandoned its last stronghold in Ramadi Sunday, effectively handing Iraqi forces their biggest victory since last year’s massive jihadist nationwide offensive.
There were still parts of the flashpoint government complex the elite counter-terrorism service could not enter, as jihadists had rigged the entire area with explosives before retreating.
And while pockets of jihadists may remain, Iraqi forces said they no longer faced any resistance, and officials were already congratulating them for liberating Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.
“All Daesh (IS) fighters have left. There is no resistance,” Sabah al-Numan, the counter-terrorism force’s spokesman, told AFP.
“The operation is almost wrapped up”, as a major clearing effort was still needed to allow forces to move in.
People waving Iraqi flags celebrated the Ramadi victory in several cities, including Baghdad and the holy Shiite city of Karbala.
Parliament Speaker Salim al-Juburi issued a statement congratulating the “heroes of the security forces for a great victory, which resulted in the liberation of the city of Ramadi from terrorism.”
The US-led coalition, which was heavily involved in supporting Iraqi forces in Ramadi, also congratulated them on the success of an operation that began soon after they lost the city in May.
“It is the result of many months of hard work by the Iraqi Army, the Counter Terrorism Service, the Iraqi Air Force, local and federal police and tribal fighters all supported by over 600 coalition air strikes since July,” spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said.
Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes had punched into the centre of Ramadi on Tuesday, in a final push to retake the city.
Fighting over the past two days had been concentrated around the government complex, whose recapture had become synonymous with victory in the battle for Ramadi.
According to medical sources, 93 members of the security forces were brought in with injuries on Sunday alone.
“The dead bodies are taken directly to the main military hospital” near the airport, said one hospital source.
At least five government fighters have been killed over the past two days alone, but no official has divulged any overall toll for the operation.
Estimates a week ago were that the Islamic State had around 400 fighters to defend central Ramadi, many of them protecting the government compound.
Those numbers were thought to have drastically declined over the past two days, with several fighters retreating from the main battle and dozens of others killed in fighting or in suicide attacks.
Ali Dawood, the head of the neighbouring Khaldiya council, said IS fighters used civilians as human shields to slip out of the government complex.
“Daesh fighters forced all the families living around the compound to go with them in order to flee towards Sichariyah, Sufiya and Jweiba,” on the eastern outskirts of Ramadi, he said.
He had said on Saturday that more than 250 families had managed to escape the combat zones since the start of the operation and had been escorted to safety by the army.
Ramadi lies about 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad and is the capital of Anbar, which is Iraq’s largest province and borders Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
A victory there would help boost Iraq’s much-criticised military, which collapsed when IS took over large parts of the country in June 2014.
The “Hashed al-Shaabi” (Popular Mobilisation), a force dominated by Tehran-backed Shiite militias, played a leading role in the recapture of several cities and areas but stayed on the fringes in Ramadi.
“The prestige goes to the Iraqi military,” said political analyst Ihsan al-Shammari.
“As an institution, it’s the first time since the Daesh invasion (in June 2014) it has achieved a victory without the support of the Popular Mobilisation force,” he said.
Shammari argued that the positive outcome in Ramadi would vindicate Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as well as the coalition, both frequently criticised for failing to retake Ramadi faster.
Government forces held off months of IS assaults in Ramadi until May 2015, when the jihadists blitzed them with massive suicide car bombs and seized full control of the city.
The fightback has often been laborious and poisoned by political wrangling, but Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said a week ago that Iraqi forces had reclaimed half of the territory nationwide lost to IS last year.
IS still holds Fallujah, which lies in the Euphrates Valley between Ramadi and Baghdad, as well as the country’s second city of Mosul. (AFP)
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