Many observers believe Baiji and its refinery, 125 miles north of the capital, Baghdad, will never be rebuilt, destined to remain relics of a countrywide economic arrangement that no longer holds, and a symbol of the government’s ability to do little more in some places than to try to keep away insurgents. – Los Angeles Times
American officials call them the “Tikrit rules” — an informal agreement that Iranian-backed Shiite militias won’t enter Sunni cities reclaimed from the Islamic State for fear of sparking new sectarian tensions there. But the rules are now facing a serious test in Fallujah, where Iraqi forces — backed by an array of armed Shiite groups — are gearing up to try to reconquer the city from the Islamic State. – Foreign Policy
Terrorist groups are using the humanitarian situation in Fallujah to fundraise, according to a senior official in Saudi Arabia. – The Hill
Iraqi troops advanced against Islamic State south of Mosul on Sunday as the U.S.-led coalition intensifies its campaign against the militants on multiple fronts across their self-proclaimed caliphate. - Reuters
The Iraqi army said on Sunday it had secured the first safe exit route for civilians to leave Islamic State's besieged stronghold Falluja, and a Norwegian aid group said thousands of people had already used it to flee in the first day it was open. - Reuters