Falluja assault: Iraq PM announces beginning of military operation

Troops, police and volunteer fighters virtually surround Falluja  (AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of a military operation to retake Falluja from the so-called Islamic State (IS).

"Zero hour for the liberation of Falluja has arrived. The moment of great victory has drawn near and Daesh has no choice but to flee," he said.

Iraq's military has already warned civilians to leave the town.

Falluja was the first city to fall to IS in 2014 and is one of only two of its remaining strongholds in Iraq.

The Iraqi military told state TV that those who could not flee should raise a white flag above their homes.

The military, police and volunteer fighters virtually surround the city, about 65 km (40 miles) west of Baghdad.

The Baghdad-based pro-Kurdish news website Shafaq said on Sunday that close to 20,000 police troops had arrived on the outskirts of Falluja ahead of the expected assault.

Between 60,000-90,000 civilians remained in Falluja. Many of them are family members of IS fighters.

IS militants launched a sweeping offensive in June 2014 that overran large areas north and west of Baghdad, but security forces and allied fighters have pushed the jihadists back with support from US-led air strikes.