February 19
19:41
2016
Deadly clashes erupted between Iraqi tribesmen and the Islamic State group inside jihadist bastion Fallujah on Friday, a sign their longstanding hold on the city west of Baghdad is weakening. Fallujah is one of two Iraqi cities still controlled by IS, and a concerted and sustained uprising by local tribes could pose a significant threat to the estimated 300 to 400 jihadists inside it. Sunni Arab tribesmen from Anbar province, where Fallujah is located, played a key role in driving back IS's predecessor organisation Al-Qaeda in Iraq after joining forces with US troops from 2006.
