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Iraqi commander says slow progress in IS-held Ramadi

Iraqi Security forces with national flag enter downtown Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015. Islamic State fighters are putting up a tough fight in the militant-held city of Ramadi, slowing down the advance of Iraqi forces, Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, head of the Anbar military operations, said Sunday. (AP Photo)
Iraqi Security forces with national flag enter downtown Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015. Islamic State fighters are putting up a tough fight in the militant-held city of Ramadi, slowing down the advance of Iraqi forces, Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, head of the Anbar military operations, said Sunday. (AP Photo) Iraqi Security forces with national flag enter downtown Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015. Islamic State fighters are putting up a tough fight in the militant-held city of Ramadi, slowing down the advance of Iraqi forces, Gen. Ismail al-Mahlawi, head of the Anbar military operations, said Sunday. (AP Photo)

By Associated Press 1 min read

BAGHDAD (AP) – Iraqi government troops remained stationed around the local government complex in the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi Monday and were expecting to retake the complex later in the day, a military commander said.

Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Belawi told The Associated Press from the outskirts of Ramadi that the militants inside the complex stopped firing back at around 8:00 a.m. and that “We believe that they were either killed or fled.”

Fearful of possible booby traps or suicide bombers holed up inside the complex, al-Belawi said that troops were calling in engineering teams before entering. He expects to take over the complex “in the coming hours.”

The capital of Anbar province, Ramadi is located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Baghdad. The city was taken by IS militants in May in a major blow to the government. IS holds about a third of Iraq and Syria.

Recapturing the government complex would partially be a symbolic victory since much of Ramadi remains under IS-control with Iraqi commanders predicting a long campaign to fully dislodge them.