Amid fierce fighting on the road to Falluja, Iraqi forces and allied militiamen closed in on the ISIL stronghold on Thursday.
But alarming new reports emerged about the desperate plight of civilians trapped there.
Celebrating the liberation of nearby Karma – a key supply line for ISIL – Iraqi forces were congratulated by their Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, on Thursday.
Abadi also appealed for an end to public protests against his government until Falluja has been recaptured from the extremists who have held it for over two years.
He insisted the main purpose of the military operation is to protect Falluja’s residents from terrorism, murder and torture carried out by the so-called Islamic State group, also known as Daesh.
The offensive began on Monday and, as the battle rages, some 50,000 civilians are said to be trapped there, without water, electricity or fuel.
The few who have managed to flee have reported cases of starvation, according to one NGO, the Norwegian Refuge
