Dozens killed in Fallujah bombardment

More than 40 civilians were killed or wounded in the early hours of Monday morning as a result of aerial and heavy artillery bombardment launched by government and militia forces in the city of Fallujah, west Iraq.



"Since this morning, the hospital has taken in 11 people who have been killed, including three women and five children, and 30 wounded, all of whom are civilians, as a result of the rocket shelling and artillery fire on Fallujah," Rajab Ahmed, a medical official from Fallujah hospital, told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

We do not have suitable facilities for treating the wounded because of the government's siege on the city. - Rajab Ahmed, Fallujah hospital

"A number of the wounded are in critical condition, and the death toll might rise over the next few hours as we do not have suitable facilities for treating the wounded because of the government's siege on the city, and because the required medical aid has been prevented from entering [the city]."


Fallujah has been subjected to unprecedented air and rocket attacks and heavy artillery fire since Friday morning, resulting in dozens of deaths and injured people. Hundreds of families are still waiting, outdoors, for a humanitarian corridor to open so that they can escape the city.

"The organisation asked the forces surrounding the city why residential areas packed with people and with no elements of the Islamic State group are being bombed, and why they left the borders and outskirts of the city where there are IS militants. But we have not received any answers from them," said Ali Naama, a member of the Islamic Relief Organisation in Fallujah.

"The residents we met said that the army, and militias supporting the army, are bombing residential areas after IS launches any counter-attacks."

While the Iraqi defence ministry has not commented on civilian deaths in Fallujah, it said in a statement on Sunday that 50 "terrorists" had been killed: "Thirty-two bombs have also been dismantled, and ten vehicles and a rocket launcher have been confiscated during ongoing military operations in Anbar and Saladin provinces."

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.