(CNN) -- The Iraqi army shelled Falluja on Saturday in an effort to clear out al Qaeda-linked fighters amid dueling claims by the terror group and government forces about just who was in control of the flashpoint city in the Anbar province. The fighting in the Sunni province in recent days has posed a serious challenge to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Shiite-dominated government, raising questions about his ability to hold the country together amid a rising insurgency. Conflicting reports have the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), formerly the group commonly known as al Qaeda in Iraq, in partial control of Falluja, the site of some of the bloodiest fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents during the Iraq War.
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NEW: At least seven people have been killed and 31 wounded in shelling, medical officials say
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NEW: Al Qaeda-linked fighters warn Sunnis to stop working with the government
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NEW: "There will be no withdrawal," Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says
That was quickly followed by a move to close two protest camps that were established last year as part of ongoing demonstrations against the @placeholder-led government, which protesters have said has marginalized the country's minority Sunni population.