Eight people were killed and nearly 20 wounded on Monday in two separate car bomb blasts that hit police checkpoints in Falluja, a former stronghold of Islamic State west of Baghdad, police sources said.
Iraqi forces recaptured the last district held by Islamic State militants in the city of Falluja on Sunday and the general commanding the operation declared the battle over after nearly five weeks of fighting.
Islamic State militants fought back vigorously overnight against an onslaught by the Iraqi army on a southern district of the city of Falluja, the group's bastion near Baghdad, officers said on Tuesday.
Sunni politicians in Iraq condemned a visit by Iranian General Qassem Soleimani to Shia paramilitary forces fighting alongside the Iraqi army to drive Islamic State militants out of the city of Falluja.
Hundreds of people fled the Falluja area on Friday with the help of Iraqi forces who are fighting to retake the city from the Islamic State jihadist group, officials said.
Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in Falluja on Tuesday, the second day of an assault to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad, as international concern mounted for the security of civilians.
Iraqi government forces fought Islamic State militants near Falluja on Monday and bombarded central districts at the outset of an offensive to retake the longtime jihadist stronghold.
Iraq's military said on Sunday it was preparing to launch an offensive to retake the Islamic State stronghold of Falluja and told residents to get ready to leave before fighting started.
