Iraq on the edge

In 2013 Iraqi security forces start major offensive in Iraq’s western desert in Anbar province to chase down al-Qaida-linked militants after killing a senior army commander. Iraqi police take down tents and clear a major Sunni sit-in in Anbar provincial capital, Ramadi, sparking clashes with militants. To alleviate the tension, the army pulls back from major cities, allowing al-Qaida militants to seize control parts of Ramadi and the whole city of Fallujah.