BAGHDAD: Iraq's defence ministry on Saturday announced a 72-hour halt to military operations in the militant-held city of Fallujah, but new violence showed the weeks-long crisis remains far from resolved.
The announcement raises the possibility of negotiations to end the crisis, during which gunmen have also seized parts of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, highlighting both the reach of militants and the weakness of security forces.
While the loss of control in the two Anbar cities has posed a major challenge for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government, a successful resolution to the crisis could give the premier a boost ahead of parliamentary polls scheduled for April.
"Military operations taken against selected terrorist organisation targets in Fallujah have been stopped for a period of 72 hours" starting from the night before, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The decision was taken "in response to goodwill and frequent communications with the forces of good and people calling for peace, and to stop the bloodshed in Fallujah," it added.
Security forces have carried out shelling and strikes inside Fallujah, just a short drive from Baghdad, and periodically clashed with gunmen in the area. Violence on Saturday showed the crisis in Anbar is far from over.
Six soldiers were wounded in clashes with gunmen in an area east of Fallujah, while a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle near an army convoy west of Ramadi, killing six people and wounding four.
The defence ministry's ceasefire announcement comes a week after Maliki visited Ramadi for talks with provincial officials and the leaders of powerful local tribes.
The Iraqi government has also pledged compensation for Anbar residents whose property was damaged in the violence, and training for tribesmen who fought on the side of security forces.
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