▁station . ▁ 1 0 0 ▁in m ates ▁were ▁fre ed , ▁weapons ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁were ▁seized , ▁and ▁most ▁police ▁forces ▁abandoned ▁their ▁posts . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 3 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁reported ly ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁Sun ni ▁Reb els , ▁but ▁Ira q ▁said ▁the ▁city ▁remained ▁cont ested . ▁The ▁reb els ▁set ▁police ▁vehicles ▁ab la ze ▁and ▁brand ished ▁their ▁weapons . ▁The ▁reb els ▁raised ▁their ▁flag ▁in ▁Fall uj ah , ▁took ▁over ▁all ▁police ▁stations , ▁and ▁military ▁posts ▁after ▁security ▁forces ▁left ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁Most ▁recently , ▁on ▁January ▁ 4 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁taken ▁by ▁Sun ni ▁Reb els ▁and ▁Al - Q a eda ▁f igh ters . ▁The ▁Ira qi ▁army ▁sh elled ▁the ▁city ▁with ▁mort ars ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁wrest le ▁back ▁the ▁town , ▁but ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁ 8 ▁people ▁and ▁wounded ▁ 3 0 . ▁ 6 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁under ▁re bel ▁control . ▁Much ▁later , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁N ouri ▁al - Mal iki ▁v owed ▁to ▁eliminate ▁" all ▁terror ist ▁groups " ▁in ▁a ▁statement ▁on ▁national ▁television . ▁The ▁police ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁An bar ▁said ▁that ▁Ira qi ▁forces ▁were ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Fall uj ah , ▁but ▁the ▁city ▁itself ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁IS IS ▁and ▁its ▁al lies . ▁Sun ni ▁tribes