About 3,000 militia members in Iraq begun moving against Islamic State militants after the fall of the city of Ramadi last week, officials said. The pro-government forces said they have retaken Husayba, east of Ramadi, BBC reported.
Ramadi - the capital of Anbar Province - is only 110km west of Baghdad. Its fall was seen as a major setback for the government. About 500 people died in the city, and more than 40,000 - a third of the population - have fled.
According to reports, the operation which has begun near Ramadi is being carried out without much involvement by the Iraqi army.
