Video: Desperate families rescued in Iraq's eastern Ramadi

Joint Iraqi forces were able to rescue dozens of families from areas of clashes in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Monday, where the Iraqi army and allied Sunni tribal forces are fighting dozens of Islamic State group militants.

The joint forces were able to evacuate around 300 residents, making up around 60 families - mostly women and children - a military source told The New Arab.

"They were trapped inside their homes because of the fighting and because [IS] would not let them leave and is using them as human shields," the source said.

IS snipers shot civilians who tried to escape "to terrorise others and force them to remain" in the area, he added.

IS militants are holed up in the eastern part of Ramadi while Iraqi forces are trying to push them away towards the Anbar desert.

The governor of Anbar province, Sabah al-Karhout, told The New Arab that IS fighters had targeted many families, and many of them are still waiting in eastern Ramadi's Soufiya district.

"We are trying to rescue them in any way we can," Karhout added.