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Fallujah
ٱلْفَلُّوجَة | |
|---|---|
 Bridges on the Euphrates River in Fallujah | |
  Fallujah Location within Iraq | |
| Coordinates: 33°21′13″N 43°46′46″E / 33.35361°N 43.77944°E | |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Governorate | Al Anbar |
| District | Fallujah District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Issa Saer al-Assawi |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2018)[1] | 250,884 |
| Time zone | UTC+03:00 (AST) |
| Postal code | 31002 |
Fallujah[a] (Arabic: ٱلْفَلُّوجَة al-Fallūjah [el.fɐl.ˈluː.dʒɐ]) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates River, it is located roughly 69 kilometres (43 mi) to the west of the capital city of Baghdad.
In 1947, Fallujah was a small town with a relatively small population but had grown to a population of about 250,900 people by 2018. Within Iraq, it is known as the "city of mosques" due to the 200+ mosques that can be found throughout the city as well as in the surrounding villages.
Following the American-led invasion of Iraq, which triggered the Iraq War, the city of Fallujah became a major centre of resistance during the Iraqi insurgency. The United States, the United Kingdom, and the Iraqi Interim Government twice engaged in fierce urban combat with insurgents throughout the city; the First Battle of Fallujah failed to dislodge the insurgents, triggering the Second Battle of Fallujah, in which the American-led coalition successfully took control of the city. However, heavy fighting from these two battles left Fallujah severely damaged, though it remained occupied by the coalition until 2011. In January 2014, three years after the American withdrawal from Iraq, Fallujah was captured by the Islamic State (IS)[2] and suffered a major population loss. On 23 May 2016, the Iraqi government announced the beginning of a large-scale military offensive against the IS militants occupying the city, resulting in the Third Battle of Fallujah.[3] On 26 June 2016, the Iraqi Armed Forces stated that Fallujah had been fully liberated and was free from militant control.[4]
- ^ "Iraq: Governorates & Cities".
- ^ "Iraq government loses control of Fallujah: PM Maliki vows "terrorists" will be eliminated after Islamic State of Iraq and Levant takes over town in Anbar province". Al Jazeera. 4 January 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015.
- ^ Hassan, Falih; Arango, Tim (23 May 2016). "Iraqi Forces Try to Retake Falluja From ISIS". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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