Authorities in the restive Iraqi city of Ramadi on Sunday imposed a curfew, effect immediately, citing a military operation against "terrorists" in the violence-wracked city.
In a statement, Anbar Governor Ahmed Khalaf al-Dulaimi urged citizens of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar province, to stay indoors due to an ongoing operation by security forces against terrorist groups.
"This operation would continue until further notice so that we make sure there is no presence for terrorist groups affiliated to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Ramadi," he added.
A security source said that the curfew was imposed as a wide-scale operation was underway to flush out militants in the eastern and southern parts of the city.
The predominantly-Sunni Anbar province has been rocked by violence since Iraqi security forces dismantled a months-old anti-government sit-in outside the city in late December.
The sit-in was a protest against perceived anti-Sunni discrimination by the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The violence came shortly after the army launched an offensive in Anbar aimed at hunting down Al-Qaeda militants. The offensive followed the killing of 16 army troops during a raid on an ISIL camp in western Anbar.
By Aref Youssef
englishnews@aa.com.tr
