The Islamic State released this image of an EA-6B Prowler that it said was seen flying over Al-Fallujah
US backs Fallujah offensive with air power http://www.janes.com/article/60755/us-backs-fallujah-offensive-with-air-power United States appears to have reversed its policy of not providing air support to Iraq's Shia militias in a bid to assist the operation to recapture Al-Fallujah from the Islamic State.
The start of the Al-Fallujah offensive was announced by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on 22 May. The Ministry of Defence subsequently stated that it involves elements from the 17th and 14th Infantry Divisions, the Ministry of Interior's 1st Rapid Intervention Brigade, and 51 units from the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
The PMF are mostly Shia militias, some of which are backed by Iran and were involved in the insurgency against US an British forces during 2003-12.
The US refused to provide air support to the PMF when they were trying to take Tikrit in March 2015, saying they were not controlled by the Iraqi government, lacked a coherent strategy or command-and-control system, and were using indiscriminate weaponry.
Photographs and imagery of the militia forces deployed around Al-Fallujah show they are equipped with improvised artillery rockets with large warheads. These inaccurate short-range bombardment weapons are likely to inflict collateral damages when used against populated areas.
There are also concerns the involvement of Shia militias may be encouraging Sunnis to fight for the Islamic State. Al-Masdar News
published a photograph showing Iran's General Qassem Soleimani visiting the centre co-ordinating the PMF's operations around Al-Fallujah.
On 25 May, however, the US-led Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) announced that since 17 May its aircraft had hit 21 targets in and around Al-Fallujah
