Iraqi forces attack Daesh in Fallujah

Iraqi forces made gains against the Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL) in late May during a campaign to retake the city of Fallujah, Iraq. 

Fallujah, which has been held by Daesh since 2014, is one of the largest cities controlled by Daesh and had a pre-war population of more than 300,000. An air strike by the US-led anti-Daesh coalition in Fallujah, days before Iraq’s operation against Daesh began, killed the local Daesh commander and dozens of other militants. 

On May 11, three suicide bombings killed at least 90 people and injured hundreds more in attacks against Shiite sites in Baghdad. The next day, a suicide bomber struck a police station, killing three people and injuring ten. Daesh claimed responsibility for both attacks.