Reinforcing Anbar

Reinforcements head into Anbar Province in Iraq.

The government is boosting its force level in the region as it battles militants of al-Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Authorities say Iraqi armed forces have killed dozens of militants in recent days in shelling and air strikes. The scale of casualties among civilians is not yet clear.

In the besieged city of Falluja some residents say life is getting back to normal after parts of the city had been held by militants.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FALLUJA RESIDENT, RASHID AL-DULEIMI, SAYING:

"I call upon residents of Falluja to come back home. The security situation is now stable. State offices and banks have opened their doors. Offices have started giving salaries to civil-servants and policemen have started working as usual."

Bloodshed in Iraq has returned to its highest level in five years,-- with at least 23 people in a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad Thursday.

The violence has alarmed We