Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of a military operation to retake the city of Fallujah from Islamic State. 

The city has been controlled by IS for two and a half years. Abadi said that special forces together with soldiers, police and pro-government tribesmen will take part in the operation to retake the city. He said bombing operations were carried out on the city last week and that government forces almost completely surround the area. Citizens were advised to evacuate before the bombing started. Fallujah and Mosul are the last two major cities IS still holds in Iraq. Iraqi forces have also begun work on recapturing Mosul, but progress has been slow.