U.S.-backed Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State militants in Falluja are advancing toward jihadist strongholds in western districts where they expect the final push to recapture the city will take place, the Iraqi commander said on Monday.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory on Friday after troops reached the centre of the city, an hour's drive west of Baghdad, but an official in the U.S.-led coalition said on Sunday Iraqi forces had so far taken only half of Falluja.
The operation to recapture the Iraqi city longest held by IS entered its fifth week on Monday, and fighting has forced more than 85,000 residents to flee to overwhelmed government-run camps.
Iraqi forces continue to face shooting, suicide bombs and mortar attacks as they confront militants north of a road running through the city.
Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi told Reuters that heavily armoured Interior Ministry police units were pressing toward Golan neighbourhood, on the northwestern edge of the city.