IS seizes control over Iraqi city of Ramadi post repelling govt troops

The Islamic State (IS) has seized control over the Iraqi city of Ramadi after government forces abandoned their positions.

The police and military retreated following days of intense fighting, reported the BBC.

However, the United States said the situation was "fluid and contested" and that it was too early to make "definitive statements."

A statement purportedly released by the IS said that its fighters had "purged the entire city" and had captured the 8th Brigade army base, along with tanks and missile launchers left behind by troops.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered troops to stand their ground, saying that he was deploying Shia militia to the city.

However, an army officer said that most troops retreated to a military base in the city of Khalidiya after they ran out of ammunitions and could no longer repulse the fierce assault launched by the terror outfit.

Ramadi is the capital of Iraq's largest province, Anbar, and is just 70 miles west of Baghdad.