Shafaq News

Once the epicenter of Iraq’s bloodiest urban battles, Fallujah has transformed from an Al Qaeda stronghold into a thriving commercial hub.

According to the American Enterprise Institute, in 2004 and 2005, the city was gripped by insurgent violence—snipers targeting US Marines, roadside bombs killing troops and civilians, and brutal street-to-street combat. Between 2003 and 2011, more than 1,300 American service members were killed in the Sunni Triangle, a volatile region northwest of Baghdad that included Fallujah, and in the Euphrates Valley.

Today, the city presents a starkly different picture. Cafes and restaurants crowd its main streets, family promenades draw residents and visitors, and bustling markets attract shoppers from across al-Anbar and Baghdad. The think tank noted that local businesses are expanding into other cities, while municipal services keep Fallujah cleaner than much of Iraq.

The transformation underscores Iraq’s uneven but visible recovery in former war zones, where commerce and public life are slowly reviving despite deep scars from years of conflict.

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