Ramadi Falls to ISIS

A spokesman for the governor of Iraq’s Anbar province says “Ramadi has fallen” to the Islamic State group.

The spokesman (Muhannad Haimour) says the military’s operational command in the city has been taken as well.

The Islamic State group made the same claim in a message on a militant website, saying it now controls holds entire city, including the 8th Brigade army base, as well as tanks and missile launchers left behind by fleeing soldiers.

Earlier, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (HY’-dahr ahl ah-BAH’-dee) ordered Iraqi security forces not to abandon their positions in Anbar province. Ramadi is the provincial capital.

The prime minister also ordered Shiite militias to prepare to go into the Sunni-dominated Anbar province, ignoring worries their presence could spark sectarian bloodshed.