"Vi erklærer Fallujah, en Islamisk stat".

After days of fighting—which began when Nouri al-Maliki ordered protest camps in the cities dismantled—militants claimed control of most of Fallujah last night, and 60% of Ramadi, the Wall Street Journal reports. In the midst of relative calm this morning, mosque loudspeakers in Fallujah urged shops to reopen, and residents to gather in park for Friday prayers, the New York Times reports. As the prayers were concluding, masked fighters appeared and took the stage, saying:

• "We declare Falluja as an Islamic state and we call on you to be on our side. We are here to defend you from the army of Maliki and the Iranian Safavids. We welcome the return of all workers, even the local police, but they have to be under our state and our rule."