20,000 children ‘trapped’ in battle for Fallujah

The UN children’s fund has issued a stark warning to Iraqi troops and Islamic State (IS) militants to spare thousands of youngsters trapped by the battle for Fallujah.

The children are the most vulnerable among tens of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting for control of the city west of Baghdad.

Backed by aerial support from the US-led coalition, and paramilitary forces — mainly made up of Shiite militias — Iraqi government troops more than a week ago launched a military operation to recapture Fallujah, which has been under control of the extremist group for more than two years.