"The military operation serves Maliki's personal interests," Dhafer al-Ani, the spokesman for Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi's Motahedoun (United) coalition, told a press conference.
On Monday, Iraqi police and army troops dismantled a sit-in staged by anti-government Sunni Muslims, triggering fierce clashes between troops and tribesmen.
Twelve people were killed and injured in clashes between army forces and armed men in Ramadi, the capital city of Anbar.
In Fallujah, a major city of Anbar, seven civilians, including a woman and a child, were also killed in clashes between armed tribesmen and government forces.
Saleh al-Essawi, deputy head of Anbar's provincial council, told AA Sunday that Defense Minister Saadoun al-Dulaimi had met with council members, local tribal chieftains and sit-in organizers.
According to al-Essawi, the two sides agreed on the release of Anbar lawmaker Ahmed al-Alwani, who was detained by Iraqi authorities on Saturday during a deadly raid on his Ramadi home.
The two sides also agreed to dismantle a number of tents erected by protesters near the province's international road, provided they were dismantled by local police rather than army personnel.
Since last December, Iraqi Sunni Muslims have staged sit-ins in several provinces, including Anbar, to denounce perceived anti-Sunni discrimination by the al-Maliki government.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
