Al-Qaida linked forces declared Fallujah as new State

The Iraq government has lost control of the strategic city of Fallujah after being captured by Al-Qaeda linked forces.

Fallujah was located on the west of Baghdad. Militants now control the south of the city.

Fighting erupts after government troops broke up a protest camp by Sunni Arabs in the city of Ramadi on 4 January 2014.

They have been accusing the Shia-led government of marginalising the Sunnis.

The army has surrounded Fallujah, which is just 65km west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. It is located in the vast Sunni-dominated area and is largely desert province of Anbar. Fallujah borders Syria, where ISIL fighters are also battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

The Prime Minister on 6 January 2014, Nuri al-Maliki appeals to the tribes and people of Fallujah to expel the terrorists from the city in order to spare themselves the risk of armed clashes.

The old Al-Qaeda in Iraq has regenerated itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). During the last few months, ISIS has become a magnet for Sunni jihadists around the world. ISIS's victories in Iraq are a sign of the growing strength of ISIS in the region.

The move is another sign that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has not been able to maintain control of the country since the United States withdrew its troops in 2011, failing to reach an agreement with the Maliki government to leave behind a residual force.

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