TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iraqi army and popular forces are preparing for massive military operations to seize back the city of Fallujah in Anbar province, provincial sources announced on Tuesday.

"The Iraqi forces will raid Fallujah after all civilians leave the city," Anbar provincial official Sheikh Khazir al-Rashed told FNA on Tuesday.


He underlined that tribes of Anbar province and Anbar operations commanders have come to an agreement on seizing back the surrounding areas of Fallujah city after they took full control of Ramadi city.


"The Iraqi security forces are advancing towards Fallujah city from several directions," Sheikh al-Rashed added.


On Thursday, the Iraqi Army units in collaboration with local forces began operations via three different directions to clear the city of Fallujah from the ISIL.


According to FNA, the Iraqi armed forces, in collaboration with the police, Special Forces, and tribal fighters began the operation on February 25.


So far, several ISIL members have been killed in the ongoing clashes in the Anbar province city.


Under immense pressure, the ISIL terrorist group has conditioned the exit of Iraqi citizens from Fallujah city without being harmed to paying a large sum of money.


"Each citizen of Fallujah has to pay $1,000 in extorted money to ISIL in order to be allowed to safely exit the city," the Arabic-language al-Sumeria news website quoted an informed Iraqi source as saying last month.


He noted that paying $1,000 for the residents who have been under the ISIL siege in the central city of Fallujah is very difficult.


The ISIL had also earlier used Fallujah residents as human shields by preventing them from leaving the city.


ISIL, for its part, is launching offensives against Iraqi forces near both Ramadi and Fallujah, trying to open up multiple fronts to prevent them from surrounding Fallujah.


By Fars News Agency