RAMADI, Iraq — A suicide attacker blew himself up at a checkpoint west of the provincial capital of Ramadi two days before the Jan. 5 launch of an offensive to retake areas in the west of the province still under Islamic State (IS) control.
Attacks and casualties continue just over a year after Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s westernmost province, was retaken from IS, as displaced citizens make their way to the city and efforts are made to rehabilitate the buildings, restore public services and clear all areas of unexploded ordnance.