Iraqi Army Repels Fallujah Counterattack

The Iraqi army held its ground and fought off an intense four-hour siege by Islamic State fighters in Fallujah early Tuesday, one day after forces, under air cover from the international coalition, moved into the southern reaches of the city held by the terror group for more than two years. U.S.-backed Iraqi troops had captured about 85 percent of ground in the city’s Nuaimiya area over the last several days. Militants, in return, unsuccessfully deployed snipers, utilized tunnels and ordered six cars carrying explosives toward the troops—they were allegedly destroyed before hitting their targets, the AP reported. Iraqi forces suffered casualties, but the numbers were unavailable. Aid groups have raised increasing concerns about the remaining 50,000 people who are trapped in the city.