Ramadi to be retaken in “days”
Iraqi PM Abadi has announced that Ramadi will be liberated in a matter of days. This indeed is likely. Ramadi has been essentially surrounded for weeks and Iraqi forces greatly outnumber the ISIL forces. Furthermore, Iraqi troops have airpower; ISL has no adequate countermeasure. The key will be what comes after Ramadi is retaken. How will the essentially Sunni population react to the mainly Shia troops? How will the Shia troops treat the Sunni population?
In Sinjar, in Iraq’s north, the Sunni population fears retaliation from Kurds and Yazidis. Sunnis of Ramadi may well have much to be concerned about.
Taliban position in Helmand province strengthens
The Taliban have taken large parts of Sangin from government troops.Some of the latter continue to fight from isolated positions. The ANA failed to bring in reinforcements in a timely manner, leaving government forces in a lurch against massed Taliban fighters. This will be noted by other government troops. They now know, if they did not already, that timely outside help cannot be relied upon. A significant battle will be underway in Sangin district and adjacent areas in Helmand province. Government troops will likely have superior numbers and of course US airpower.