Iraq's Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, has celebrated 'big successes' for government troops who launched an offensive on Monday to retake the city of Fallujah from Islamic State. The city has been controlled by IS since January 2014.

Special forces working together with soldiers, police and pro-government tribesmen are said to have taken part in the operation. Citizens were advised to evacuate the city before the offensive started. Fallujah and Mosul are the last two major cities IS still holds in Iraq. Iraqi security forces have begun work retaking Mosul, but progress has been slow.