Security forces battled for a second day on Saturday with Islamic State gunmen who infiltrated Kirkuk in a brazen raid that rattled Iraq as it ramped up an offensive to retake Mosul.

A day after the shock attack on the Kurdish-controlled city, jihadist snipers and suspected suicide bombers were still at large, prompting Baghdad to send reinforcements.

Special counter-terrorism and intelligence units were hunting down some of the dozens of IS fighters who stormed public buildings in the early hours of Friday.

&quot;We have 46 dead and 133 wounded, most of them members of the security services, as result of the clashes with Daesh (IS),&quot; an interior ministry brigadier general told AFP.

The toll was confirmed by a source at the Kirkuk health directorate, which called for blood donations to assist with the emergency.

The brigadier general said at least 25 jihadist attackers had been killed so far and several others wounded, including a Libyan believed to be among the raid&#39;s leaders.

The large-scale &quot;inghimasi&quot; attack, a term describing jihadist operations in which gunmen, often wearing suicide vests, intend to sow chaos and fight to the death rather than achieve any military goal, caught Kirkuk off guard.

The large city, which lies in an oil-producing region some 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, woke up on Friday to find jihadists roaming the streets of several neighbourhoods.

They used mosque loudspeakers to broadcast praise of their self-proclaimed &quot;caliphate&quot;, which has been shrinking steadily since last year and is looking closer than ever to collapse.

&nbsp;

Distraction from Mosul&nbsp;

One attacker captured by the Kurdish security services on Friday claimed that the Kirkuk raid was planned by IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a diversion from the offensive on Mosul.

&quot;Today&#39;s attack was one of caliph Baghdadi&#39;s plans to demonstrate that the Islamic State is remaining and expanding and reduce the pressure on the Mosul front,&quot; he said, according to an AFP reporter who saw his initial interrogation.

A Kirkuk-based television journalist was shot dead by an IS sniper on Friday and the city remained under curfew on Saturday as the security forces battled jihadists holed up in several buildings.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced late Friday that he was sending reinforcements to Kirkuk but there was no sign of any major impact on operations around Mosul.

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter arrived in Iraq on Saturday to review the offensive, which his country and around 60 other nations support.

Mosul is much the most populous city in the &quot;caliphate&quot; Baghdadi declared in June 2014 and the operation to recapture it is Iraq&#39;s largest in years.&nbsp;

Its loss would deal a huge blow to IS and could mark the end of its days as a land-holding force in Iraq.

With 3,000 to 4,500 men facing tens of thousands of Iraqi forces backed by massive US-led air power, the outcome of the battle is in little doubt.

&nbsp;

Christian town

But jihadists have been launching dozens of suicide car bombs against advancing forces, slowing their progress and inflicting casualties in the process.

On Saturday, Iraqi federal forces moved into Qaraqosh, which lies just east of Mosul and was Iraq&#39;s largest Christian town before its population fled the jihadists in 2014, the joint operations command said.

Kurdish forces were also leading a major push northeast of Mosul but complained that air support from the US-led coalition was insufficient and leaving them exposed.

In his meetings in Baghdad on Saturday, the US defence secretary was expected to attempt to convince the government to lift its opposition to the participation of Turkish forces, who have a base north of Mosul.

Launched on Monday, the offensive is still in its early stages and is likely to involve a siege before elite forces enter the city and engage in street fighting with die-hard jihadists.

A French government source told AFP that entry into the city itself was still a month away.

A key concern is the presence in Mosul of up to 1.2 million civilians, who are trapped and unable to leave until forces move closer and safe corridors are opened.

According to residents contacted by AFP, living conditions are deteriorating by the day, with some food supplies running low and IS paranoia of informants higher than ever.

The number of civilians fleeing the fighting and the jihadists who have ruled them for two years was beginning to grow as Iraqi forces worked their way up the Tigris Valley.

Several thousand Iraqis displaced by this week&#39;s offensive have received assistance but aid groups fear hundreds of thousands could be forced to flee in the coming weeks.

With winter looming and relief organisations already stretched by the presence in the country of more than three million displaced people, the predicted exodus from Mosul would spark Iraq&#39;s worst humanitarian emergency in years.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

Special counter-terrorism teams are hunting down IS fighters who stormed the Kurdish-controlled city on Friday

Security forces battled for a second day on Saturday with Islamic State gunmen who infiltrated Kirkuk in a brazen raid that rattled Iraq as it ramped up an offensive to retake Mosul. A day after the shock attack on the Kurdish-controlled city, jihadist snipers and suspected suicide bombers were still at large, prompting Baghdad to send reinforcements. Special counter-terrorism and intelligence units were hunting down some of the dozens of IS fighters who stormed public buildings in the early hours of Friday. "We have 46 dead and 133 wounded, most of them members of the security services, as result of the clashes with Daesh (IS)," an interior ministry brigadier general told AFP. The toll was confirmed by a source at the Kirkuk health directorate, which called for blood donations to assist with the emergency. The brigadier general said at least 25 jihadist attackers had been killed so far and several others wounded, including a Libyan believed to be among the raid's leaders. The large-scale "inghimasi" attack, a term describing jihadist operations in which gunmen, often wearing suicide vests, intend to sow chaos and fight to the death rather than achieve any military goal, caught Kirkuk off guard. The large city, which lies in an oil-producing region some 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, woke up on Friday to find jihadists roaming the streets of several neighbourhoods. They used mosque loudspeakers to broadcast praise of their self-proclaimed "caliphate", which has been shrinking steadily since last year and is looking closer than ever to collapse. Distraction from Mosul One attacker captured by the Kurdish security services on Friday claimed that the Kirkuk raid was planned by IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a diversion from the offensive on Mosul. "Today's attack was one of caliph Baghdadi's plans to demonstrate that the Islamic State is remaining and expanding and reduce the pressure on the Mosul front," he said, according to an AFP reporter who saw his initial interrogation. A Kirkuk-based television journalist was shot dead by an IS sniper on Friday and the city remained under curfew on Saturday as the security forces battled jihadists holed up in several buildings. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced late Friday that he was sending reinforcements to Kirkuk but there was no sign of any major impact on operations around Mosul. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter arrived in Iraq on Saturday to review the offensive, which his country and around 60 other nations support. Mosul is much the most populous city in the "caliphate" Baghdadi declared in June 2014 and the operation to recapture it is Iraq's largest in years. Its loss would deal a huge blow to IS and could mark the end of its days as a land-holding force in Iraq. With 3,000 to 4,500 men facing tens of thousands of Iraqi forces backed by massive US-led air power, the outcome of the battle is in little doubt. Christian town But jihadists have been launching dozens of suicide car bombs against advancing forces, slowing their progress and inflicting casualties in the process. On Saturday, Iraqi federal forces moved into Qaraqosh, which lies just east of Mosul and was Iraq's largest Christian town before its population fled the jihadists in 2014, the joint operations command said. Kurdish forces were also leading a major push northeast of Mosul but complained that air support from the US-led coalition was insufficient and leaving them exposed. In his meetings in Baghdad on Saturday, the US defence secretary was expected to attempt to convince the government to lift its opposition to the participation of Turkish forces, who have a base north of Mosul. Launched on Monday, the offensive is still in its early stages and is likely to involve a siege before elite forces enter the city and engage in street fighting with die-hard jihadists. A French government source told AFP that entry into the city itself was still a month away. A key concern is the presence in Mosul of up to 1.2 million civilians, who are trapped and unable to leave until forces move closer and safe corridors are opened. According to residents contacted by AFP, living conditions are deteriorating by the day, with some food supplies running low and IS paranoia of informants higher than ever. The number of civilians fleeing the fighting and the jihadists who have ruled them for two years was beginning to grow as Iraqi forces worked their way up the Tigris Valley. Several thousand Iraqis displaced by this week's offensive have received assistance but aid groups fear hundreds of thousands could be forced to flee in the coming weeks. With winter looming and relief organisations already stretched by the presence in the country of more than three million displaced people, the predicted exodus from Mosul would spark Iraq's worst humanitarian emergency in years. (AFP)

Kirkuk: Iraqi forces in fierce clashes with Islamic State

These men are proof that sometimes with great power comes insane self-indulgence

While the concept of a democratic government is over two centuries old, modern history has witnessed the rise of some of the most oppressive dictators. Self-absorbed and narcissistic, these are the some of the craziest autocrats who implemented bizarre rules under their reign: Saparmurat Niyazov: Turkmenistan’s Niyazov was one of the most self-obsessed dictators of all times. He gave himself the title of Turkmenbashi- meaning Leader of All Ethnic Turkmen and went on to declare himself president of the country for life. Niyazov created a new image for the country, where he named all public spaces, from streets to landmarks, after himself. What’s bizarre: Every clock or watch in Turkmenistan had his face Young men were forbidden to grow long hair and beards Music was banned in the country A statue of Turkmenistan's former President Saparmurad Niyazov in Asghaban (AFP) × Kim Il Sung: Since his appointment as the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Kim’s forces took some 200,000 political prisoners, who were kept in concentration camps. North Korea lacked freedom of the press, religion, political opposition and education. Kim lived a life of luxury, while the country faced severe economic sanctions. What’s bizarre: Kim ate sushi, especially flown in from Japan Followers were made to believe that their ‘Dear Leader’ neither urinates nor defecates, and has the power to control the weather North Korean military officers and citizens holding a rally to celebrate the September 9 nuclear warhead test in Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang (AFP) × Idi Amin Dada: Third president of Uganda, Amin led a military coup to gain absolute power after promoting himself as head of the state. He was often perceived as mentally unstable as his regime was characterised with corruption, nepotism, oppression and mass killings. The casualties range between 80,000 and 500,000, with many of them being meted out systematic torture. What’s bizarre: Reports claim that he ate his enemies and even fed them to crocodiles Wrote love letters to Queen Elizabeth Uganda People`s Defence Force (UPDF) march during the celebration to mark the fall of Idi Amin Dada 11 April 2002. (AFP) × Nicolae Ceausescu: Like other self-obsessed dictators of his kind, Nicolae was fond of giving himself titles such as “Conducator” meaning Leader and “Geniul din Carpa?i” meaning The Genius of the Carpathians. He even created an executive presidency and had a scepter made for himself like a king. What’s bizarre: He carried out destruction of 19 churches, six synagogues and 30,000 homes to build a palace for himself. It cost the Romanian treasury a total of $10 billion Gold buttons belonging to Nicolae Ceausescu are exhibited at an auction in Bucharest (AFP) × Mao Zedong: Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People’s Republic of China experimented with China’s economy, resulting in severe financial losses. His policy ‘Great Leap Forward’ shifted the country from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing one, by pulling out farmers from the field and assigning them to mill steel. Millions died after this, due to starvation. What’s bizarre: Launched the Cultural Revolution, which led to the elimination of the country’s intelligentsia and his political opponents Academics suffered and teachers were forced out of schools and colleges Set up the ‘Red Guards’ enlisting youth to correct the bourgeois elements in China’s society Considered himself to be the only genius in the country Cantonese opera actors dressed as Red Guards perform in a show portraying late Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong (AFP) × (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Self-obsessed autocrats and their bizarre rules

Islamic State commandos launched an attack on Kirkuk, an important city located south of Mosul, currently under a territorial dispute between the Iraqi central government and the Kurdish Regional Government.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
IS attacked a power plant located in Dubis, a town approximately 40 kilometres from Kirkuk, with car bombs. According to official figures, 18 employees died in the attack.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
According to Kurdish media group, Rudaw&nbsp;Media Network, a sniper blew himself up in front of the hotel where he was hiding.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The action could be considered an attack rather than a counter-attack. Kirkuk was considered to be a safe city, under full control of Kurdish security forces. It is most likely an action planned by the IS in order to divert military personnel from the main frontline. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Yesterday, Peshmerga forces launched a major offensive aiming to reconquer the city of Bashiqa, and encountered significant resistance, resulting in an unconfirmed number of deaths. Unofficial reports speak about figures close to 100.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
WION sources within the city walls said many citizens joined the security forces with their own weapons in order to intensify the patrolling and prevent further IS actions. Many of the organisations present in Iraqi Kurdistan are also present with their own soldiers in Kirkuk. Among the others, guerrilla fighters of the Worker&rsquo;s Kurdistan Party (PKK), an organisation labelled as terrorist both by Turkey and the US, have also joined.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Several parts of the cities are under strict curfew and people have been asked by the security forces not to leave their homes. Checkpoints to reach the city have been blocked and only military personnel are allowed to enter Kirkuk.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Mosques have been closed during the day in order to avoid every possible risk, especially&nbsp;after the end of the Friday prayers, when a significant number of people leave&nbsp;the places of worship. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The attack against Kirkuk poses questions about IS&#39;s action in the coming weeks. The Mosul offensive was a long awaited one and probably gave enough time to the Islamist terrorist group to organise such an action.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It is still not clear whether the IS attack in Kirkuk is a sign of strength or weakness. Official figures of the number of fighters IS has deployed to defend Mosul and its surroundings vary widely. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The IS is most likely aware of the little chance&nbsp;they have in retaining control over Mosul, their last stronghold in Iraq. The Kirkuk attack represents a warfare tactic to diffuse the offensive, in order to check the morale of the regular troops and force them into quick and unplanned deployments. In this phase, IS will try to cause maximum harm, regardless of their fate in Mosul.

(WION)

IS attacked a power plant located in Dubis, a town approximately 40 km from Kirkuk, with car bombs. Eighteen employees were killed

Islamic State commandos launched an attack on Kirkuk, an important city located south of Mosul, currently under a territorial dispute between the Iraqi central government and the Kurdish Regional Government. IS attacked a power plant located in Dubis, a town approximately 40 kilometres from Kirkuk, with car bombs. According to official figures, 18 employees died in the attack. According to Kurdish media group, Rudaw Media Network, a sniper blew himself up in front of the hotel where he was hiding. The action could be considered an attack rather than a counter-attack. Kirkuk was considered to be a safe city, under full control of Kurdish security forces. It is most likely an action planned by the IS in order to divert military personnel from the main frontline. Yesterday, Peshmerga forces launched a major offensive aiming to reconquer the city of Bashiqa, and encountered significant resistance, resulting in an unconfirmed number of deaths. Unofficial reports speak about figures close to 100. WION sources within the city walls said many citizens joined the security forces with their own weapons in order to intensify the patrolling and prevent further IS actions. Many of the organisations present in Iraqi Kurdistan are also present with their own soldiers in Kirkuk. Among the others, guerrilla fighters of the Worker’s Kurdistan Party (PKK), an organisation labelled as terrorist both by Turkey and the US, have also joined. Several parts of the cities are under strict curfew and people have been asked by the security forces not to leave their homes. Checkpoints to reach the city have been blocked and only military personnel are allowed to enter Kirkuk. Mosques have been closed during the day in order to avoid every possible risk, especially after the end of the Friday prayers, when a significant number of people leave the places of worship. The attack against Kirkuk poses questions about IS's action in the coming weeks. The Mosul offensive was a long awaited one and probably gave enough time to the Islamist terrorist group to organise such an action. It is still not clear whether the IS attack in Kirkuk is a sign of strength or weakness. Official figures of the number of fighters IS has deployed to defend Mosul and its surroundings vary widely. The IS is most likely aware of the little chance they have in retaining control over Mosul, their last stronghold in Iraq. The Kirkuk attack represents a warfare tactic to diffuse the offensive, in order to check the morale of the regular troops and force them into quick and unplanned deployments. In this phase, IS will try to cause maximum harm, regardless of their fate in Mosul. (WION)

IS attacks Iraq's Kirkuk to scuttle Mosul offensive

Aiming to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul &nbsp;from the Islamic State group, thousands of Iraq&#39;s Kurdish Peshmerga forces advanced on jihadist-held villages east of the city today after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi &nbsp;announced the launch of &#39;long-awaited&#39; battle against the extremist group.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;The operation in Khazir includes up to 4,000 Peshmerga in three fronts to clear nearby IS-occupied villages,&quot; the general command of the Peshmerga was said in a statement, according to international news agency AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The latest offensive by the Peshmerga forces is part of a broader operation to retake Mosul. The much-anticipated announcement by &nbsp;Iraq&#39;s Prime Minister comes more than two years after IS seized Iraq&#39;s second city, paving the way for the proclamation of its &quot;state&quot;, AFP reported.

&nbsp;

Peshmerga commanders said &nbsp;that the operation in Mosul, a major stronghold, was coordinated with Iraqi federal forces moving from the south and had received extensive air support from the US-led coalition.

&nbsp;

Around 30,000 troops from the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga militia and Sunni tribal fighters are expected to take part in the offensive to drive an estimated 4,000 to 8,000 Islamic State militants from Mosul, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It&#39;s pertinent to mention that Abadi stressed in his televised address that &quot;only army and police forces would enter Mosul itself when advancing forces eventually reach the city&#39;s&nbsp;boundaries&quot;. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Iraqi government forces, with air and ground support from the US-led coalition,&nbsp;have launched the offensive. &nbsp;The assault on the northern city was the biggest operation mounted by the Iraqi military since US&nbsp;forces withdrew in 2011, and the United States predicted Islamic State would suffer &quot;a lasting defeat,&quot;, according to a Reuters report.&nbsp;

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Heavy firing has been reported in Mosul after Iraqi Prime Minister announced the launch of offensive against the Islamic State. (WION)
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WION correspondent Daniele Pagani, who is in Iraq, has confirmed that heavy firing was confirmed from the region after the forces launched the operation.&nbsp;

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Operation could last for weeks: Top US commander&nbsp;

Commenting on the launch of the battle, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander of the US-led coalition battling the jihadist group said that the operation to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group could last weeks and &quot;possibly longer&quot;, AFP reported.&nbsp;

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&quot;This operation to regain control of Iraq&#39;s second-largest city will likely continue for weeks, possibly longer,&quot; he said in a statement.

&nbsp;

&quot;This may prove to be a long and tough battle, but the Iraqis have prepared for it and we will stand by them,&quot; Townsend.&nbsp;

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Following the fall of Mosul to IS more than two years ago, the United States led what has now become a more than 60-nation coalition supporting the anti-IS effort in Iraq and Syria. The coalition had trained and equipped more than 54,000 Iraqi forces, according to Townsend.&nbsp;

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Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has termed the Mosul offensive as a &#39;decisive moment&#39;.&nbsp;

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&quot;This is a decisive moment in the campaign to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat,&quot; Carter said in a statement, AFP reported.&nbsp;

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&quot;We are confident our Iraqi partners will prevail against our common enemy and free Mosul and the rest of Iraq from ISIL&#39;s hatred and brutality.&quot;

&nbsp;

He also promised continued support for Iraq. &quot;The United States and the rest of the international coalition stand ready to support Iraqi Security Forces, Peshmerga fighters and the people of Iraq in the difficult fight ahead,&quot; he stressed.

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Extremely concerned&#39; for 1.5 million civilians: United Nations&nbsp; 
Warning that the &quot;families (in Mosul) are at extreme risk of being caught in cross-fire or (being) targeted by snipers&quot;, &nbsp;the UN deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief voiced grave concern at risks faced by civilians.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I am extremely concerned for the safety of up to 1.5 million people living in Mosul who may be impacted by military operations to retake the city from ISIL,&quot; Stephen O&#39;Brien said, referring to the Islamic State jihadist group.

&nbsp;

&quot;Depending on the intensity and scope of the fighting, as many as one million people may be forced to flee their homes in a worst-case scenario,&quot; O&#39;Brien said in a UN statement on Sunday.

&nbsp;

Indeed, children and elderly are among those at greatest risk, he said.

&nbsp;

&quot;Tens of thousands of Iraqi girls, boys, women and men may be under siege or held as human shields. Thousands may be forcibly expelled or trapped between the fighting lines,&quot; O&#39;Brien added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
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Around 30,000 troops from the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga militia and Sunni tribal fighters are expected to take part in the offensive

Aiming to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State group, thousands of Iraq's Kurdish Peshmerga forces advanced on jihadist-held villages east of the city today after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launch of 'long-awaited' battle against the extremist group. "The operation in Khazir includes up to 4,000 Peshmerga in three fronts to clear nearby IS-occupied villages," the general command of the Peshmerga was said in a statement, according to international news agency AFP. The latest offensive by the Peshmerga forces is part of a broader operation to retake Mosul. The much-anticipated announcement by Iraq's Prime Minister comes more than two years after IS seized Iraq's second city, paving the way for the proclamation of its "state", AFP reported. Peshmerga commanders said that the operation in Mosul, a major stronghold, was coordinated with Iraqi federal forces moving from the south and had received extensive air support from the US-led coalition. Around 30,000 troops from the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga militia and Sunni tribal fighters are expected to take part in the offensive to drive an estimated 4,000 to 8,000 Islamic State militants from Mosul, Reuters reported. It's pertinent to mention that Abadi stressed in his televised address that "only army and police forces would enter Mosul itself when advancing forces eventually reach the city's boundaries". Iraqi government forces, with air and ground support from the US-led coalition, have launched the offensive. The assault on the northern city was the biggest operation mounted by the Iraqi military since US forces withdrew in 2011, and the United States predicted Islamic State would suffer "a lasting defeat,", according to a Reuters report. Heavy firing has been reported in Mosul after Iraqi Prime Minister announced the launch of offensive against the Islamic State. (WION) × WION correspondent Daniele Pagani, who is in Iraq, has confirmed that heavy firing was confirmed from the region after the forces launched the operation. Operation could last for weeks: Top US commander Commenting on the launch of the battle, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, commander of the US-led coalition battling the jihadist group said that the operation to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group could last weeks and "possibly longer", AFP reported. "This operation to regain control of Iraq's second-largest city will likely continue for weeks, possibly longer," he said in a statement. "This may prove to be a long and tough battle, but the Iraqis have prepared for it and we will stand by them," Townsend. Following the fall of Mosul to IS more than two years ago, the United States led what has now become a more than 60-nation coalition supporting the anti-IS effort in Iraq and Syria. The coalition had trained and equipped more than 54,000 Iraqi forces, according to Townsend. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has termed the Mosul offensive as a 'decisive moment'. "This is a decisive moment in the campaign to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat," Carter said in a statement, AFP reported. "We are confident our Iraqi partners will prevail against our common enemy and free Mosul and the rest of Iraq from ISIL's hatred and brutality." He also promised continued support for Iraq. "The United States and the rest of the international coalition stand ready to support Iraqi Security Forces, Peshmerga fighters and the people of Iraq in the difficult fight ahead," he stressed. Extremely concerned' for 1.5 million civilians: United Nations Warning that the "families (in Mosul) are at extreme risk of being caught in cross-fire or (being) targeted by snipers", the UN deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief voiced grave concern at risks faced by civilians. "I am extremely concerned for the safety of up to 1.5 million people living in Mosul who may be impacted by military operations to retake the city from ISIL," Stephen O'Brien said, referring to the Islamic State jihadist group. "Depending on the intensity and scope of the fighting, as many as one million people may be forced to flee their homes in a worst-case scenario," O'Brien said in a UN statement on Sunday. Indeed, children and elderly are among those at greatest risk, he said. "Tens of thousands of Iraqi girls, boys, women and men may be under siege or held as human shields. Thousands may be forcibly expelled or trapped between the fighting lines," O'Brien added. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Mosul offensive: Iraq launches 'long-awaited' battle, UN says 'extremely concerned for 1.5 million civilians'?

The Mosul offensive, arguably one of the most important military attacks in the past five years in Western Asia, is approaching. It is most likely only&nbsp;days before the Iraqi Prime Minister orders its forces to advance towards the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Iraq. Everything seems to be ready and coordinated except one thing: the role of Turkey.&nbsp;

Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to deploy&nbsp;troops to&nbsp;attack&nbsp;Mosul, whatever the cost. Iraqi&nbsp;Prime Minister&nbsp;Haider al-Habadi, who is also the Iraqi army&#39;s commander-in-chief, does not share the same idea. Recently, he&nbsp;defined Turkish troops as an &ldquo;occupying force&rdquo;. Tones of the dispute are heated.&nbsp;Erdogan, speaking at&nbsp;the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,&nbsp;&ldquo;know your place&rdquo; and &ldquo;you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level&rdquo;. The two countries have withdrawn their respective ambassadors for consultation.

Ankara&rsquo;s military presence does not come out of the blue.&nbsp;Turkish forces have been located in Iraqi Kurdistan&nbsp;on the basis of an agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. In the past few years, Barzani&nbsp;has become&nbsp;the main interlocutor and advocate of a Turkish presence in the region, especially due to the volume of investments Ankara is undertaking in the territories he administers. 
&nbsp; 
Erdogan considers the right to participate in the battle of Mosul as the natural right of Turkey to fight against the Islamic State, but this seems&nbsp;more of a pretext for a renewed activism of the Turkish President, who aims to become a major power,&nbsp;if not the major power,&nbsp;in Western Asia.

After the failed coup, Erdogan needs&nbsp;to project an image of strength in order to stabilise his position both on the national and international stage. It is no secret that the purges against more than 100,000 workers&nbsp;have contributed in worsening Turkey&rsquo;s international reputation.

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<h5>Erdogan, speaking at&nbsp;the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,&nbsp;&ldquo;know your place&rdquo; and &ldquo;you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level&rdquo;.</h5>
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Repression has been particularly tough in Turkey&rsquo;s south-east&nbsp;where a majority of Kurds live.&nbsp;The iron-fist&nbsp;Erdogan is showing the Iraqi Prime Minister is part of a series of Turkish aggressive initiatives, starting&nbsp;with the purge.

A month after the coup, Turkey launched operation Euphrates Shield in order to secure the last 95 kilometres&nbsp;of Syrian border under Islamic State control, an action which was presented as a major success. Too few asked themselves what took so long to secure such a small area which was commonly known as the &ldquo;terror corridor&rdquo; and from which foreign fighters, supplies, oil and ammunitions kept going and coming from IS territories.

Erdogan&rsquo;s offensive began soon after the Kurdish militias, known as the People&rsquo;s Protection Units (YPG), crossed the western banks of the Euphrates river, the red line Ankara established for them. That very segment of border&nbsp;divides the Kurdish-controlled region of Rojava in north Syria and the Kurdish-controlled area of Afrin, in north-west Syria. Turkey wanted to&nbsp;secure&nbsp;it&nbsp;to avoid an autonomous Kurdish area right across the border, and President Erdogan made it clear then that the war will not end until every terrorist organisation, including the YPG and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), is defeated. Turkey&nbsp;directly links the YPG with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), an organisation they classify as terrorists, against&nbsp;whom they fought a three-decade guerrilla war.

Soon after the operation, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed&nbsp;rebels of the undefined Islamist assortment under the name of Free Syrian Army, started fighting against the Kurds, forcing them to retreat.

This created diplomatic problems with the Department of State, which was a direct ally of the Syrian Kurds, with whom they liberated a significant part of Northern Syria and important cities like Kobane and Manbij from the IS.

The situation paved the way for Russia that is also using the Syrian civil war to renew its presence in Western Asia. During their last meeting in Istanbul on October 10, Russia&rsquo;s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan agreed to normalise relations, which became tense after the Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. They signed an agreement to build two gas pipelines&nbsp;and other trade agreements which will help Russia to overcome the EU sanctions.

Another reason for Turkey to insist on keeping their troops in Iraqi Kurdistan is the presence of the PKK in the Qandil mountains. Turkey&#39;s&nbsp;air force is constantly bombing the area behind the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, close to the Iranian border, where the PKK has its headquarters. Airstrikes were registered less than three days ago.&nbsp;

The conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish Workers&#39; Party is another phenomenon the Iraqi Prime Minister wants to eradicate from his territory, and an additional reason to ask Ankara to withdraw its troops. Al-Habadi declared at the end of September that &ldquo;Iraq is not a place for the PKK and Turkey&rsquo;s struggle&rdquo;.

Deteriorating relations between Turkey and the Iraqi central government could result&nbsp;in the delaying of the Mosul offensive which is a symbol of the war against Islamic State in Syria in Iraq. A highly fragmented conflict, made of wars-within-the-wars where regional powers, ethnic groups and political parties use the fight against the Islamic State as a pretext to increase their military presence and areas of influence on the ground.&nbsp;

(WION)

While an international coalition prepares to attack IS's Iraqi base, Mosul, Turkey's diplomatic fight with Iraq could delay things

The Mosul offensive, arguably one of the most important military attacks in the past five years in Western Asia, is approaching. It is most likely only days before the Iraqi Prime Minister orders its forces to advance towards the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Iraq. Everything seems to be ready and coordinated except one thing: the role of Turkey. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to deploy troops to attack Mosul, whatever the cost. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who is also the Iraqi army's commander-in-chief, does not share the same idea. Recently, he defined Turkish troops as an “occupying force”. Tones of the dispute are heated. Erdogan, speaking at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister, “know your place” and “you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level”. The two countries have withdrawn their respective ambassadors for consultation. Ankara’s military presence does not come out of the blue. Turkish forces have been located in Iraqi Kurdistan on the basis of an agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. In the past few years, Barzani has become the main interlocutor and advocate of a Turkish presence in the region, especially due to the volume of investments Ankara is undertaking in the territories he administers. Erdogan considers the right to participate in the battle of Mosul as the natural right of Turkey to fight against the Islamic State, but this seems more of a pretext for a renewed activism of the Turkish President, who aims to become a major power, if not the major power, in Western Asia. After the failed coup, Erdogan needs to project an image of strength in order to stabilise his position both on the national and international stage. It is no secret that the purges against more than 100,000 workers have contributed in worsening Turkey’s international reputation. Erdogan, speaking at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister, “know your place” and “you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level”. × Repression has been particularly tough in Turkey’s south-east where a majority of Kurds live. The iron-fist Erdogan is showing the Iraqi Prime Minister is part of a series of Turkish aggressive initiatives, starting with the purge. A month after the coup, Turkey launched operation Euphrates Shield in order to secure the last 95 kilometres of Syrian border under Islamic State control, an action which was presented as a major success. Too few asked themselves what took so long to secure such a small area which was commonly known as the “terror corridor” and from which foreign fighters, supplies, oil and ammunitions kept going and coming from IS territories. Erdogan’s offensive began soon after the Kurdish militias, known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG), crossed the western banks of the Euphrates river, the red line Ankara established for them. That very segment of border divides the Kurdish-controlled region of Rojava in north Syria and the Kurdish-controlled area of Afrin, in north-west Syria. Turkey wanted to secure it to avoid an autonomous Kurdish area right across the border, and President Erdogan made it clear then that the war will not end until every terrorist organisation, including the YPG and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), is defeated. Turkey directly links the YPG with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), an organisation they classify as terrorists, against whom they fought a three-decade guerrilla war. Soon after the operation, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed rebels of the undefined Islamist assortment under the name of Free Syrian Army, started fighting against the Kurds, forcing them to retreat. This created diplomatic problems with the Department of State, which was a direct ally of the Syrian Kurds, with whom they liberated a significant part of Northern Syria and important cities like Kobane and Manbij from the IS. The situation paved the way for Russia that is also using the Syrian civil war to renew its presence in Western Asia. During their last meeting in Istanbul on October 10, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan agreed to normalise relations, which became tense after the Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. They signed an agreement to build two gas pipelines and other trade agreements which will help Russia to overcome the EU sanctions. Another reason for Turkey to insist on keeping their troops in Iraqi Kurdistan is the presence of the PKK in the Qandil mountains. Turkey's air force is constantly bombing the area behind the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, close to the Iranian border, where the PKK has its headquarters. Airstrikes were registered less than three days ago. The conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish Workers' Party is another phenomenon the Iraqi Prime Minister wants to eradicate from his territory, and an additional reason to ask Ankara to withdraw its troops. Al-Habadi declared at the end of September that “Iraq is not a place for the PKK and Turkey’s struggle”. Deteriorating relations between Turkey and the Iraqi central government could result in the delaying of the Mosul offensive which is a symbol of the war against Islamic State in Syria in Iraq. A highly fragmented conflict, made of wars-within-the-wars where regional powers, ethnic groups and political parties use the fight against the Islamic State as a pretext to increase their military presence and areas of influence on the ground. (WION)

Turkey's parallel war in Iraq and Syria

&ldquo;Interesting question, and you might be surprised about the answer that you will receive here. I had no sympathy for Saddam Hussein, but I can&rsquo;t really say I am doing good now that he is gone. At least, when he was there, there was only one Saddam. Now every city has its own Saddam who wants to rule,&rdquo;&nbsp;Belan Shnanie tells me during a flight.

He worked in the UK for many years for a major oil company, and then decided to return&nbsp;to his hometown Erbil, capital city of Iraq&rsquo;s Kurdistan, to start his&nbsp;own business. &ldquo;Things are pretty slow now,&rdquo; he says.

&ldquo;Are we speaking about the same Saddam who persecuted all opponents on the sole base of their political and ethnical belonging for years, using torture, murder and random imprisonment?&rdquo; I ask. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Yes, we are. Look, I am Kurd and my father died because of Saddam, but I would not be honest if I say that things are better now. We have the same problems, the same inter-ethnic tensions, but less money and no one truly entitled to rule.&rdquo; &nbsp;

This was just the first expression of&nbsp;an idea that I found,&nbsp;not without a certain surprise,&nbsp;to be extremely common in Iraqi Kurdistan, a region known for its historical struggle for independence from the Iraqi state.

Kurds were&nbsp;heavily persecuted by Saddam&rsquo;s paramilitary forces during his regime, and many can&#39;t forget the massacre of Halabja in 1988, when chemical weapons&nbsp;killed more than 4,000 people. Nevertheless, an uncertain future and an unstable present risk to overcome historical memory.

One casual answer is never representative, so&nbsp;I decided to ask&nbsp;this very question to every&nbsp;local citizen&nbsp;I met.&nbsp;&ldquo;Do you think Saddam Hussain was a better option than the present situation?&rdquo;

&ldquo;Yes, of course,&rdquo; says Mahmud while driving his taxi. &ldquo;I am a school teacher. Now you tell me in which country a school teacher drives a taxi? I have to drive this car because the government did not pay my salary as a teacher for the last four months, and I have a family to feed. I eat only at dinner to save money for them.&rdquo; Mahmud&rsquo;s situation is not unique;&nbsp;he took part in&nbsp;a protest held&nbsp;on September 26 across&nbsp;Iraqi Kurdistan, where&nbsp;thousands of teachers and government employees took to the streets to claim their unpaid salaries.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Mahmud you look around fifty years old. You lived during Saddam Hussain as a Kurd, as a repressed minority, and still you think he was better?&rdquo;

&ldquo;Yes, at least he paid my salary.&rdquo;

As a journalist, I must specify that&nbsp;any&nbsp;number of street interactions still amounts to anecdotal evidence, and so&nbsp;cannot claim to represent the&nbsp;people&#39;s consensus.&nbsp;Entire sections of the Iraqi population&nbsp;actively fight&nbsp;for a democratic state and have no intention of going&nbsp;back to the&nbsp;previous form of government. The current president, Masoud Barzani, has been regularly voted and elected. Kurds are actively fighting the Islamic State, and its sectarian,&nbsp;violent ideals in Syria&rsquo;s Rojava and in all the countries where they have a foothold.

I must say though, again as a journalist, that among the great majority of the people I have been speaking to along the streets of Erbil, the most common answer has been: &ldquo;Yes, Saddam was a dictator and did bad things, but at least the economy was good and we did not have to worry about our salary.&rdquo;

The surprising part is that I received such an answer both by Arabs and Kurds.

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&nbsp;

It reminds of&nbsp;the many neo-fascists groups active in Europe, and the increasing appeal they have on a society suffering the&nbsp;long-term&nbsp;effects from&nbsp;the&nbsp;economic crisis.

A society who does not trust&nbsp;its political class&nbsp;expresses&nbsp;frustrations on the&nbsp;many Facebook pages, singing the praises of the repressive and fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for being&nbsp;an honest man who knew how to rule a country.

&ldquo;You have to understand that for a big part of the young Iraqi generations who have not lived under Saddam, memory does not play a role,&rdquo; says&nbsp;a young educated man&nbsp;in his twenties who asked to&nbsp;remain anonymous. &ldquo;We only know that now we have problems and we think that before there were no problems. This is true for many young Arabs, like me, who perceive&nbsp;Saddam&rsquo;s past as a period of grandeur, and his toppling only as another move made by the West to destabilise the area. Many of us think that war is not the problem, but politics is, and the politicians are all corrupt.&rdquo;

This is another leitmotif among the answers: politicians are all corrupt, a belief which generates a significant mistrust toward the political class. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It is frightening where the lack of&nbsp;stability and&nbsp;secure livelihoods can lead. This nostalgia of an authoritarian, repressive and criminal regime is mainly connected to that, to the idealisation of a past which seems much better than a turbulent present. A human and totally understandable necessity of a salary, a house, food on the table directly affects&nbsp;people&#39;s political&nbsp;perception. In harsh situations - be it war, natural catastrophes or monetary crisis - liberty, freedom of thought, religion and press become secondary options which many are ready to drop in favour of&nbsp;economic stability.&nbsp;

This paves the way to whatever political group becomes able to provide an acceptable livelihood, to guarantee a salary and some food on your table. This is one of the aspects that make the Islamic State an acceptable form of government for entire sections of a society, a dynamic which IS knows well and uses it in its favour. 
&nbsp; 
Frustration, economic difficulties, mistrust towards elected politicians and corruption have been constant elements used to achieve power by almost all the totalitarian regimes of the 20th&nbsp;century.&nbsp;

All together, they generate dangerous and reactionary attitudes which glorify the idea of a &ldquo;perfect past&rdquo; that in reality never existed, thus fuelling authoritarian temptations. An attitude clearly summed up by a banal and, for this&nbsp;democratic European&nbsp;writer, scary sentence, which Mahmud told me before shaking my hand outside the taxi.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really care about democracy and freedom, I care about food for my children and a salary in my bank.&rdquo;

(WION)

In the streets of Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, many consider Saddam Hussein's reign preferable to the uncertainty of today

“Interesting question, and you might be surprised about the answer that you will receive here. I had no sympathy for Saddam Hussein, but I can’t really say I am doing good now that he is gone. At least, when he was there, there was only one Saddam. Now every city has its own Saddam who wants to rule,” Belan Shnanie tells me during a flight. He worked in the UK for many years for a major oil company, and then decided to return to his hometown Erbil, capital city of Iraq’s Kurdistan, to start his own business. “Things are pretty slow now,” he says. “Are we speaking about the same Saddam who persecuted all opponents on the sole base of their political and ethnical belonging for years, using torture, murder and random imprisonment?” I ask. “Yes, we are. Look, I am Kurd and my father died because of Saddam, but I would not be honest if I say that things are better now. We have the same problems, the same inter-ethnic tensions, but less money and no one truly entitled to rule.” This was just the first expression of an idea that I found, not without a certain surprise, to be extremely common in Iraqi Kurdistan, a region known for its historical struggle for independence from the Iraqi state. Kurds were heavily persecuted by Saddam’s paramilitary forces during his regime, and many can't forget the massacre of Halabja in 1988, when chemical weapons killed more than 4,000 people. Nevertheless, an uncertain future and an unstable present risk to overcome historical memory. One casual answer is never representative, so I decided to ask this very question to every local citizen I met. “Do you think Saddam Hussain was a better option than the present situation?” “Yes, of course,” says Mahmud while driving his taxi. “I am a school teacher. Now you tell me in which country a school teacher drives a taxi? I have to drive this car because the government did not pay my salary as a teacher for the last four months, and I have a family to feed. I eat only at dinner to save money for them.” Mahmud’s situation is not unique; he took part in a protest held on September 26 across Iraqi Kurdistan, where thousands of teachers and government employees took to the streets to claim their unpaid salaries. “Mahmud you look around fifty years old. You lived during Saddam Hussain as a Kurd, as a repressed minority, and still you think he was better?” “Yes, at least he paid my salary.” As a journalist, I must specify that any number of street interactions still amounts to anecdotal evidence, and so cannot claim to represent the people's consensus. Entire sections of the Iraqi population actively fight for a democratic state and have no intention of going back to the previous form of government. The current president, Masoud Barzani, has been regularly voted and elected. Kurds are actively fighting the Islamic State, and its sectarian, violent ideals in Syria’s Rojava and in all the countries where they have a foothold. I must say though, again as a journalist, that among the great majority of the people I have been speaking to along the streets of Erbil, the most common answer has been: “Yes, Saddam was a dictator and did bad things, but at least the economy was good and we did not have to worry about our salary.” The surprising part is that I received such an answer both by Arabs and Kurds. I don’t really care about democracy and freedom, I care about food for my children and a salary in my bank. × It reminds of the many neo-fascists groups active in Europe, and the increasing appeal they have on a society suffering the long-term effects from the economic crisis. A society who does not trust its political class expresses frustrations on the many Facebook pages, singing the praises of the repressive and fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for being an honest man who knew how to rule a country. “You have to understand that for a big part of the young Iraqi generations who have not lived under Saddam, memory does not play a role,” says a young educated man in his twenties who asked to remain anonymous. “We only know that now we have problems and we think that before there were no problems. This is true for many young Arabs, like me, who perceive Saddam’s past as a period of grandeur, and his toppling only as another move made by the West to destabilise the area. Many of us think that war is not the problem, but politics is, and the politicians are all corrupt.” This is another leitmotif among the answers: politicians are all corrupt, a belief which generates a significant mistrust toward the political class. It is frightening where the lack of stability and secure livelihoods can lead. This nostalgia of an authoritarian, repressive and criminal regime is mainly connected to that, to the idealisation of a past which seems much better than a turbulent present. A human and totally understandable necessity of a salary, a house, food on the table directly affects people's political perception. In harsh situations - be it war, natural catastrophes or monetary crisis - liberty, freedom of thought, religion and press become secondary options which many are ready to drop in favour of economic stability. This paves the way to whatever political group becomes able to provide an acceptable livelihood, to guarantee a salary and some food on your table. This is one of the aspects that make the Islamic State an acceptable form of government for entire sections of a society, a dynamic which IS knows well and uses it in its favour. Frustration, economic difficulties, mistrust towards elected politicians and corruption have been constant elements used to achieve power by almost all the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. All together, they generate dangerous and reactionary attitudes which glorify the idea of a “perfect past” that in reality never existed, thus fuelling authoritarian temptations. An attitude clearly summed up by a banal and, for this democratic European writer, scary sentence, which Mahmud told me before shaking my hand outside the taxi. “I don’t really care about democracy and freedom, I care about food for my children and a salary in my bank.” (WION)

In today's Iraq, an authoritarian leader is tempting

At least 10 people were killed today and about 30 were wounded in Iraqi capital in a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State &nbsp;(IS) on two Shi&#39;ite majority areas, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Reuters, however, put the death toll at 11.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While one of the attacks was reported in &nbsp;the Amil neighbourhood of southern Baghdad, where at least six people were killed, &nbsp;the other attack was reported in the eastern Mashtal district, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the second attack, the &nbsp;bomber detonated explosives near a garage for taxis and buses and a tent providing refreshments to passersby as part of a Shiite religious ritual, reported AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

IS later claimed the attack in a statement, saying it targetted the Shi&#39;ite events commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad&#39;s grandson Hussein, according to Reuters.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Shi'ite events commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein were targetted in the suicide attacks, IS said

At least 10 people were killed today and about 30 were wounded in Iraqi capital in a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) on two Shi'ite majority areas, international news agency AFP reported. Reuters, however, put the death toll at 11. While one of the attacks was reported in the Amil neighbourhood of southern Baghdad, where at least six people were killed, the other attack was reported in the eastern Mashtal district, according to Reuters. In the second attack, the bomber detonated explosives near a garage for taxis and buses and a tent providing refreshments to passersby as part of a Shiite religious ritual, reported AFP. IS later claimed the attack in a statement, saying it targetted the Shi'ite events commemorating the slaying of Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein, according to Reuters. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Islamic State suicide bombers target Shia processions in Baghdad, at least 10 killed

Militants attacked a police checkpoint north of Tikrit and then detonated a car filled with explosives near the city entrance,&nbsp;Iraqi police and military sources said. 
 
Twelve people, including four police officers, were killed in the twin attack. 
 
Gunmen opened fire at the checkpoint, killing four policemen. One of the assailants was killed as well. 
 
Two of the militants then drove on for about 7 km to the city limits before detonating the explosives in the pickup truck, killing eight civilians and wounding 23.&nbsp; 
 
This is the first attack since Baghdad was reclaimed from IS in April 2015. No militant organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

No militant organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet

Militants attacked a police checkpoint north of Tikrit and then detonated a car filled with explosives near the city entrance, Iraqi police and military sources said. Twelve people, including four police officers, were killed in the twin attack. Gunmen opened fire at the checkpoint, killing four policemen. One of the assailants was killed as well. Two of the militants then drove on for about 7 km to the city limits before detonating the explosives in the pickup truck, killing eight civilians and wounding 23. This is the first attack since Baghdad was reclaimed from IS in April 2015. No militant organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Iraq: 12 dead in Tikrit bomb attack

Militants stormed a gas facility in northern Iraq today, killing four workers and planting several explosives before security forces managed to regain control, security sources said. 
 
At least four gunmen with hand grenades broke through the external door of the AB2 gas compressor station, about 15 km (10 miles) northwest of Kirkuk, at around 0300 (1200 GMT), leaving two guards in critical condition. 
 
They proceeded to shoot dead four employees in a control room inside and planted explosives charges, at least five of which went off, the sources said. 
 
Forces from the elite counter-terrorism service then stormed the facility, regaining complete control and freeing 15 other employees who had hidden in a separate room. It was not yet clear if the attackers had been killed or if they had fled. 
 
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Islamic State has previously targeted oil facilities in the area with explosives, repeatedly targeting oil wells at Khabbaz oilfield southwest of Kirkuk. 
 
Islamic State militants, who seized a third of the&nbsp;Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producer&#39;s territory in 2014, have since been pushed back in many areas by an array of Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition airstrikes. 
 
(Reuters)

Security forces stormed the facility and regained control freeing 15 employees. It is not clear if the four attackers died or they fled

Militants stormed a gas facility in northern Iraq today, killing four workers and planting several explosives before security forces managed to regain control, security sources said. At least four gunmen with hand grenades broke through the external door of the AB2 gas compressor station, about 15 km (10 miles) northwest of Kirkuk, at around 0300 (1200 GMT), leaving two guards in critical condition. They proceeded to shoot dead four employees in a control room inside and planted explosives charges, at least five of which went off, the sources said. Forces from the elite counter-terrorism service then stormed the facility, regaining complete control and freeing 15 other employees who had hidden in a separate room. It was not yet clear if the attackers had been killed or if they had fled. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Islamic State has previously targeted oil facilities in the area with explosives, repeatedly targeting oil wells at Khabbaz oilfield southwest of Kirkuk. Islamic State militants, who seized a third of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producer's territory in 2014, have since been pushed back in many areas by an array of Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition airstrikes. (Reuters)

Militants storm Iraq gas compressor station, kill 4

Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi held talks in Baghdad with America&#39;s top military officer today, discussing plans to oust the Islamic State group from second city Mosul, his office said. 
 
Washington is leading an international coalition that is carrying out air strikes against IS as well as providing training, advice and other support to Iraqi forces.&nbsp;Abadi and general Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, discussed boosting &quot;cooperation between the two countries in the fields of training and arming, ongoing international coalition support for Iraq... and plans to liberate Mosul,&quot; a statement said. 
 
Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for an assault on Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014, but the final push to retake it is likely still months away.&nbsp;Defence minister Khalid al-Obeidi has said that IS leaders and their families have sold their belongings and fled the city as Iraqi forces close in. 
 
Mosul is the last city held by IS in Iraq, but retaking it poses a major challenge, and the operation could unleash a humanitarian crisis unless plans are made for people who would likely flee the fighting. 
 
The Red Cross has said it believes that up to a million Iraqis could be displaced in the coming months by fighting against IS, including the operation to recapture Mosul.&nbsp;IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces. 
 
(AFP)

Iraqi forces along with international coalition group are conducting operations to liberate Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014

Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi held talks in Baghdad with America's top military officer today, discussing plans to oust the Islamic State group from second city Mosul, his office said. Washington is leading an international coalition that is carrying out air strikes against IS as well as providing training, advice and other support to Iraqi forces. Abadi and general Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, discussed boosting "cooperation between the two countries in the fields of training and arming, ongoing international coalition support for Iraq... and plans to liberate Mosul," a statement said. Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for an assault on Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014, but the final push to retake it is likely still months away. Defence minister Khalid al-Obeidi has said that IS leaders and their families have sold their belongings and fled the city as Iraqi forces close in. Mosul is the last city held by IS in Iraq, but retaking it poses a major challenge, and the operation could unleash a humanitarian crisis unless plans are made for people who would likely flee the fighting. The Red Cross has said it believes that up to a million Iraqis could be displaced in the coming months by fighting against IS, including the operation to recapture Mosul. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces. (AFP)

Iraq PM talks about defeating IS with top US officer

Up to&nbsp;one million people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in coming weeks and months as fighting intensifies to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday. 
 
The humanitarian agency said it was seeking a further 17.1 million Swiss Francs for its programme in Iraq, its third largest worldwide, bringing its budget for the country to $137 million Swiss Francs. 
 
&quot;The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There&rsquo;s the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance,&quot; said Robert Mardini, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East on return from Iraq.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

'The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst,' said the International Committee of the Red Cross chief

Up to one million people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in coming weeks and months as fighting intensifies to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday. The humanitarian agency said it was seeking a further 17.1 million Swiss Francs for its programme in Iraq, its third largest worldwide, bringing its budget for the country to $137 million Swiss Francs. "The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There’s the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance," said Robert Mardini, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East on return from Iraq. (Reuters)

About one million may flee Iraq due to IS takeover: Red Cross

After years of violence and war in Iraq, officials said that the damaged infrastructure and the slow reconstruction process in war-torn regions have made it difficult for refugees to come back home. 
 
According to UN figures, the number of Iraqi refugees has hit 3.4 million. Moreover, the number of refugees from Mosul has been soaring, and is expected to continue due to the fighting against extremists in the area. 
 
Jassim Mohammed al-Jaff, minister of Migration and Displacement, said that in areas recovered by the government, the process of moving refugees back has started, but the problem can only be solved when the situation in Mosul is stable. 
 
&quot;The ultimate solution is certainly letting the refugees go back, which means the most practical and fundamental way is helping them going back to their homeland, because the regions that receive them can only provide temporary resettlement, but we can&rsquo;t provide them with services forever. The refugees are also not willing to stay at the temporary shelters for long; they want to go back home,&quot; said Jassim Mohammed al-Jaff. 
 
According to Iraqi authorities, only 600,000 refugees have managed to come back home, accounting for less than one sixth of the total. 
 
&quot;It is a problem for refugees to come back home voluntarily because most of the recovered cities are still devastated and are not able to provide for the basic necessities of the residents. Meanwhile, recently some children of the refugees face the threat of being kidnapped; many kids have died in the process,&quot; said Fadelal-Gharawi, a member of Iraq&#39;s High Commission for Human Rights. 
 
Iraq has been mired in war and other conflicts since 2003, especially with the constant terrorist attacks across the country, which has led to economic downturn and has hindered the rebuilding of infrastructure. 
 
(Reuters)

According to Iraq, only 600,000 refugees have managed to come back home, accounting for less than one sixth of total

After years of violence and war in Iraq, officials said that the damaged infrastructure and the slow reconstruction process in war-torn regions have made it difficult for refugees to come back home. According to UN figures, the number of Iraqi refugees has hit 3.4 million. Moreover, the number of refugees from Mosul has been soaring, and is expected to continue due to the fighting against extremists in the area. Jassim Mohammed al-Jaff, minister of Migration and Displacement, said that in areas recovered by the government, the process of moving refugees back has started, but the problem can only be solved when the situation in Mosul is stable. "The ultimate solution is certainly letting the refugees go back, which means the most practical and fundamental way is helping them going back to their homeland, because the regions that receive them can only provide temporary resettlement, but we can’t provide them with services forever. The refugees are also not willing to stay at the temporary shelters for long; they want to go back home," said Jassim Mohammed al-Jaff. According to Iraqi authorities, only 600,000 refugees have managed to come back home, accounting for less than one sixth of the total. "It is a problem for refugees to come back home voluntarily because most of the recovered cities are still devastated and are not able to provide for the basic necessities of the residents. Meanwhile, recently some children of the refugees face the threat of being kidnapped; many kids have died in the process," said Fadelal-Gharawi, a member of Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights. Iraq has been mired in war and other conflicts since 2003, especially with the constant terrorist attacks across the country, which has led to economic downturn and has hindered the rebuilding of infrastructure. (Reuters)

The road back home is less travelled by Iraqi refugees

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle near a crowded checkpoint north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 12 people, security and medical officials said. 
 
The blast at the entrance to the town of Khales also wounded 37, according to Diyala province police spokesman Colonel Ghalib al-Attiyah and health department spokesman Faris al-Azzawi. 
 
Hospital sources said the death toll was expected to rise given the extent of critical injuries. 
 
Attiyah said the checkpoint was crowded with cars, and that a number of them were burned in the blast. 
 
Amaq, a news agency that supports Islamic State, said the attack had targeted Iraqi troops in Khalis. 
 
The blast came a day after a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed at least 15 people in Baghdad&#39;s Kadhimiyah neighbourhood. 
 
Islamic State overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country. 
 
The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Islamic State claims responsibility for blast. Medical officials say death toll is expected to rise given the extent of critical injuries

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle near a crowded checkpoint north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 12 people, security and medical officials said. The blast at the entrance to the town of Khales also wounded 37, according to Diyala province police spokesman Colonel Ghalib al-Attiyah and health department spokesman Faris al-Azzawi. Hospital sources said the death toll was expected to rise given the extent of critical injuries. Attiyah said the checkpoint was crowded with cars, and that a number of them were burned in the blast. Amaq, a news agency that supports Islamic State, said the attack had targeted Iraqi troops in Khalis. The blast came a day after a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed at least 15 people in Baghdad's Kadhimiyah neighbourhood. Islamic State overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country. The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks as the jihadists continue to lose ground. (AFP)

At least 12 dead in Iraq's car bomb explosion

A suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed at least 15 in a Shiite area of northern Baghdad today, security and medical officials said. 
 
The bombing, which struck near a checkpoint in the Kadhimiyah area, home to a major Shiite shrine, also wounded at least 29, the officials said. 
 
IS issued a statement claiming the attack, saying it targeted soldiers and pro-government paramilitaries in the area. 
 
The jihadist group frequently carries out attacks on security forces, and also often targets members of Iraq&#39;s Shiite Muslim majority, whom it considers heretics. 
 
An IS suicide bomber struck shoppers in Baghdad&#39;s central Karrada district earlier this month, killing 292. 
 
The group also claimed an attack on a Shiite shrine in Balad, north of the capital, that left 40 dead a few days later. 
 
IS over-ran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country. 
 
The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks as the jihadists continue to lose ground. 
 
(AFP)

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted members of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority, whom it considers heretic

A suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed at least 15 in a Shiite area of northern Baghdad today, security and medical officials said. The bombing, which struck near a checkpoint in the Kadhimiyah area, home to a major Shiite shrine, also wounded at least 29, the officials said. IS issued a statement claiming the attack, saying it targeted soldiers and pro-government paramilitaries in the area. The jihadist group frequently carries out attacks on security forces, and also often targets members of Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority, whom it considers heretics. An IS suicide bomber struck shoppers in Baghdad's central Karrada district earlier this month, killing 292. The group also claimed an attack on a Shiite shrine in Balad, north of the capital, that left 40 dead a few days later. IS over-ran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant ground and are conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country. The jihadists have responded to the battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and experts have warned there may be more such attacks as the jihadists continue to lose ground. (AFP)

Suicide bomber kills 15 in Baghdad near Shiite area

Canada said on Thursday its military is set to deploy up to 60 medical staff to Iraq to run a field hospital for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group. 
 
&quot;As part of our ongoing commitment, Canada will soon deploy up to 60 medical personnel who will be leading a medical facility alongside coalition partners in northern Iraq,&quot; defence minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement following a meeting in Washington with other coalition members. 
 
Foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion added: &quot;Canada is proud to be contributing to all military and civilian lines of effort of the coalition. This type of integrated approach is essential to help secure long-term stability in the region.&quot; 
 
The medical personnel will join Canadian special forces and trainers already deployed to Iraq as part of the fight against IS. 
 
Canada withdrew from the coalition&#39;s bombing campaign in March following the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but Ottawa still provides CP-140 Aurora surveillance and CC-150T Polaris refueling aircraft to the effort. 
 
(AFP)

The medical personnel will join Canadian special forces and trainers already deployed to Iraq as part of the fight against IS

Canada said on Thursday its military is set to deploy up to 60 medical staff to Iraq to run a field hospital for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group. "As part of our ongoing commitment, Canada will soon deploy up to 60 medical personnel who will be leading a medical facility alongside coalition partners in northern Iraq," defence minister Harjit Sajjan said in a statement following a meeting in Washington with other coalition members. Foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion added: "Canada is proud to be contributing to all military and civilian lines of effort of the coalition. This type of integrated approach is essential to help secure long-term stability in the region." The medical personnel will join Canadian special forces and trainers already deployed to Iraq as part of the fight against IS. Canada withdrew from the coalition's bombing campaign in March following the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but Ottawa still provides CP-140 Aurora surveillance and CC-150T Polaris refueling aircraft to the effort. (AFP)

Canada military to deploy up to 60 medical staff to Iraq

Europe is at major risk of &quot;lone wolf&quot; terror attacks, its policing agency said today, with the latest incidents showing &quot;how difficult it is to detect and disrupt suspects&quot;. 
 
Recent incidents including Monday&#39;s attack on a German train and last week&#39;s carnage in Nice which left 84 people dead &quot;remain a favoured tactic by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda,&quot; Europol said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Both groups have repeatedly called on Muslims living in western countries to perpetrate lone actor attacks in their countries of residence,&quot; it said. 
 
In the latest incident, the Islamic State group on Tuesday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train at Wuerzburg in southern Germany, injuring five people, two critically. 
 
&quot;Although IS has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, none seem to have been planned, logistically supported or executed directly by IS,&quot; Europol said, 
 
Despite the attackers&#39; pledges of allegiance to the IS group, &quot;their actual involvement cannot be established,&quot; Europol said. 
 
The Hague-based policing organisation also released its 2015 &quot;EU Terrorism and Trend Report&quot; saying 151 people died and more than 350 others were injured in terror attacks last year in the 28-member bloc. 
 
The 55-page report only looked at 2015 and did not take into account the Nice attack or the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro stations in March in which 32 people died. 
 
&quot;In 2015 the EU (European Union) experienced a massive number of casualties caused by terrorist attacks,&quot; Europol chief Rob Wainwright said. 
 
&quot;The carefully planned attacks demonstrate the elevated threat to the EU from a fanatical minority based in the Middle East, combined with a network of people born and raised in the EU,&quot; he said. 
 
These people are &quot;often radicalised within a short space of time, (and) proven willing to act as facilitators and active accomplices in terrorism,&quot; Wainwright said. 
 
A significant number of all foreign terrorist travellers in Syria and Iraq are now female, the report said, and women have also &quot;proven to be very successful in facilitating and recruiting while still in the EU&quot;. 
 
These women are trained in the use of weapons though are probably not currently taking part in active combat, Europol added. 
 
&quot;Their roles may change in the future, which may have an effect on the nature and impact&quot; of Islamic State group operations in Europe, the policing agency warned. 
 
Last year, 687 suspects were arrested, of whom 198 were convicted of jihadist activities. 
 
Europol warned: &quot;It is a highly challenging task for the security services and law enforcement to prevent every terrorist attack by keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of people suspected of being, in one way, or another sympathetic to IS ideology.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The Islamic State group yesterday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train

Europe is at major risk of "lone wolf" terror attacks, its policing agency said today, with the latest incidents showing "how difficult it is to detect and disrupt suspects". Recent incidents including Monday's attack on a German train and last week's carnage in Nice which left 84 people dead "remain a favoured tactic by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda," Europol said in a statement. "Both groups have repeatedly called on Muslims living in western countries to perpetrate lone actor attacks in their countries of residence," it said. In the latest incident, the Islamic State group on Tuesday released a video purportedly featuring a 17-year-old migrant who went on an axe rampage on a train at Wuerzburg in southern Germany, injuring five people, two critically. "Although IS has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, none seem to have been planned, logistically supported or executed directly by IS," Europol said, Despite the attackers' pledges of allegiance to the IS group, "their actual involvement cannot be established," Europol said. The Hague-based policing organisation also released its 2015 "EU Terrorism and Trend Report" saying 151 people died and more than 350 others were injured in terror attacks last year in the 28-member bloc. The 55-page report only looked at 2015 and did not take into account the Nice attack or the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro stations in March in which 32 people died. "In 2015 the EU (European Union) experienced a massive number of casualties caused by terrorist attacks," Europol chief Rob Wainwright said. "The carefully planned attacks demonstrate the elevated threat to the EU from a fanatical minority based in the Middle East, combined with a network of people born and raised in the EU," he said. These people are "often radicalised within a short space of time, (and) proven willing to act as facilitators and active accomplices in terrorism," Wainwright said. A significant number of all foreign terrorist travellers in Syria and Iraq are now female, the report said, and women have also "proven to be very successful in facilitating and recruiting while still in the EU". These women are trained in the use of weapons though are probably not currently taking part in active combat, Europol added. "Their roles may change in the future, which may have an effect on the nature and impact" of Islamic State group operations in Europe, the policing agency warned. Last year, 687 suspects were arrested, of whom 198 were convicted of jihadist activities. Europol warned: "It is a highly challenging task for the security services and law enforcement to prevent every terrorist attack by keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of people suspected of being, in one way, or another sympathetic to IS ideology." (AFP)

Europol warns it is difficult to predict lone wolf attacks

UNESCO has named Iraqi marshlands once ravaged by dictator Saddam Hussein as a World Heritage Site, a bright spot for a country where jihadists have repeatedly sought to wipe out history. 
 
The area named &quot;is made up of seven sites: three archaeological sites and four wetland marsh areas in southern Iraq,&quot; UNESCO said. 
&quot;The archaeological cities of Uruk and Ur and the Tell Eridu archaeological site form part of the remains of the Sumerian cities and settlements that developed in southern Mesopotamia between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BCE,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;The Ahwar of Southern Iraq - also known as the Iraqi Marshlands - are unique, as one of the worlds largest inland delta systems, in an extremely hot and arid environment,&quot; UNESCO said. Iraq has been seeking World Heritage status for the marshes since 2003, and its government hailed the move. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the Iraqi people on UNESCOs decision, and thanked &quot;all those who contributed to this success&quot;. 
 
Abadi also said that culture in the country will continue &quot;despite the destruction and demolition of Iraqi heritage and antiquities by barbaric terrorist gangs&quot;. He was referring to Islamic State group&#39;s destruction of artefacts at the Mosul museum and the ancient cities of Nimrud and Hatra, the latter of which is a World Heritage Site. 
 
IS has sought to couch the destruction in religious terms, saying it was targeting idols, but that has not stopped it from selling artefacts to fund its operations. 
 
The marshlands once stretched across some 20,000 square kilometres, but they were devastated after Saddam ordered them drained in the 1990s to stop them being used as hideouts by Shiite guerrillas opposed to his regime.&nbsp;Many dams and canals ordered built by the dictator have now been demolished, allowing waters from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to flood back, fish and fowl to return and humans to settle once again. 
 
Dams farther upriver in Syria and Turkey still limit the flow of water into the marshes, and high levels of salinity have also been a problem in the south, killing fish and making the water undrinkable. 
 
(AFP)

The Ahwar of Southern Iraq are one of the world's largest inland delta systems. Iraq has been seeking World Heritage status since 2003

UNESCO has named Iraqi marshlands once ravaged by dictator Saddam Hussein as a World Heritage Site, a bright spot for a country where jihadists have repeatedly sought to wipe out history. The area named "is made up of seven sites: three archaeological sites and four wetland marsh areas in southern Iraq," UNESCO said. "The archaeological cities of Uruk and Ur and the Tell Eridu archaeological site form part of the remains of the Sumerian cities and settlements that developed in southern Mesopotamia between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BCE," it said. "The Ahwar of Southern Iraq - also known as the Iraqi Marshlands - are unique, as one of the worlds largest inland delta systems, in an extremely hot and arid environment," UNESCO said. Iraq has been seeking World Heritage status for the marshes since 2003, and its government hailed the move. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the Iraqi people on UNESCOs decision, and thanked "all those who contributed to this success". Abadi also said that culture in the country will continue "despite the destruction and demolition of Iraqi heritage and antiquities by barbaric terrorist gangs". He was referring to Islamic State group's destruction of artefacts at the Mosul museum and the ancient cities of Nimrud and Hatra, the latter of which is a World Heritage Site. IS has sought to couch the destruction in religious terms, saying it was targeting idols, but that has not stopped it from selling artefacts to fund its operations. The marshlands once stretched across some 20,000 square kilometres, but they were devastated after Saddam ordered them drained in the 1990s to stop them being used as hideouts by Shiite guerrillas opposed to his regime. Many dams and canals ordered built by the dictator have now been demolished, allowing waters from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to flood back, fish and fowl to return and humans to settle once again. Dams farther upriver in Syria and Turkey still limit the flow of water into the marshes, and high levels of salinity have also been a problem in the south, killing fish and making the water undrinkable. (AFP)

UNESCO names Iraq marshlands a World Heritage Site

The US&nbsp;military expects to seek additional&nbsp;troops&nbsp;in Iraq, even beyond the hundreds announced this week, as the campaign against the Islamic State advances, the head of the US&nbsp;military&#39;s central command said.

&quot;As we continue on the mission, I think there will be some additional&nbsp;troops&nbsp;that we will ask to bring in,&quot; US&nbsp;army General Joseph Votel said in an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, without disclosing a number.

Votel, who oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the size of possible future increases were still being discussed within military circles. He did not offer details on the timing of any requests to President Barack Obama&#39;s administration.

His remarks came just three days after Obama&#39;s administration announced a 560 troop increase as part of an effort to facilitate an Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq&#39;s second biggest city.

Most of those&nbsp;troops&nbsp;will work out of Qayara air base, which Iraqi forces recaptured from Islamic State militants last week.

They plan to use Qayara as a staging ground for an offensive to retake Mosul.

Votel suggested future requests would similarly be tailored to particular stages of the campaign.

&quot;We try to tie our requests to specific objectives we&#39;re trying to achieve on the ground,&quot; he said.

The recapture of Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s de facto Iraqi capital, from which its leader declared a modern-day caliphate in 2014, would be a major boost for the plans by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the United States to weaken the militant group.

Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul by the end of the year.

Some US&nbsp;officials caution that retaking the city without a plan to restore security, basic services and governance would be a major mistake and question the ability of Iraq&#39;s Shi&#39;ite-government in Baghdad to mend the sectarian divide fueling the conflict.

Votel broadly acknowledged concerns about the non-military aspects of the campaign but said he felt more upbeat after meetings on Wednesday with top Iraqi officials, including Abadi.

&quot;While there is still a lot of work to do &ndash; a lot of work to do &ndash; I left more encouraged,&quot; he said, stressing the importance that US-backed military operations &quot;pay off on the political side&quot;.

With the latest troop increase, the United States has an official limit of just over 4,600&nbsp;troops formally assigned to Iraq, although the actual figure is higher due to temporary assignments.

Obama has opposed recommitting the United States to another large-scale ground war in the Middle East and any deployment of forces to Iraq would likely need to be measured.

Republican leaders this week called on Obama to ask Congress for additional funds to pay for the deployment of more&nbsp;troops&nbsp;to Iraq, as Congress and the White House debate defense spending amid mandatory budget cuts.

No withdrawal

As Islamic State militants have lost part of their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, they increasingly have turned to suicide attacks.

These included a bombing in the Iraqi capital last week that left nearly 300 people dead, the most lethal bombing of its kind since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Votel was speaking before a gunman killed 80 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice. No group has claimed responsibility.

Votel cautioned that even after Islamic State eventually loses Mosul and the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, Americans should not expect a rapid, wholesale withdrawal from the country. &quot;What we don&#39;t want to do is declare victory and depart after that. I think we want to see this through,&quot; Votel said.

If Islamic State fighters shift to other locations, outside those cities, Votel said it was important to have US military resources in place &quot;to ensure we can achieve that lasting defeat&quot;.

&quot;If there&#39;s capabilities we don&#39;t need, we will remove them. Likewise if there&#39;s capabilities we do need that we don&#39;t have, we&#39;ll ask for them,&quot; Votel said, describing an evolving campaign that won&#39;t end soon. 
 
(Reuters)

Three days after Obama's administration announced a troop increase in Iraq US?Army general Joseph Votel seeks additional troops

The US military expects to seek additional troops in Iraq, even beyond the hundreds announced this week, as the campaign against the Islamic State advances, the head of the US military's central command said. "As we continue on the mission, I think there will be some additional troops that we will ask to bring in," US army General Joseph Votel said in an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, without disclosing a number. Votel, who oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the size of possible future increases were still being discussed within military circles. He did not offer details on the timing of any requests to President Barack Obama's administration. His remarks came just three days after Obama's administration announced a 560 troop increase as part of an effort to facilitate an Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city. Most of those troops will work out of Qayara air base, which Iraqi forces recaptured from Islamic State militants last week. They plan to use Qayara as a staging ground for an offensive to retake Mosul. Votel suggested future requests would similarly be tailored to particular stages of the campaign. "We try to tie our requests to specific objectives we're trying to achieve on the ground," he said. The recapture of Mosul, Islamic State's de facto Iraqi capital, from which its leader declared a modern-day caliphate in 2014, would be a major boost for the plans by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the United States to weaken the militant group. Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul by the end of the year. Some US officials caution that retaking the city without a plan to restore security, basic services and governance would be a major mistake and question the ability of Iraq's Shi'ite-government in Baghdad to mend the sectarian divide fueling the conflict. Votel broadly acknowledged concerns about the non-military aspects of the campaign but said he felt more upbeat after meetings on Wednesday with top Iraqi officials, including Abadi. "While there is still a lot of work to do – a lot of work to do – I left more encouraged," he said, stressing the importance that US-backed military operations "pay off on the political side". With the latest troop increase, the United States has an official limit of just over 4,600 troops formally assigned to Iraq, although the actual figure is higher due to temporary assignments. Obama has opposed recommitting the United States to another large-scale ground war in the Middle East and any deployment of forces to Iraq would likely need to be measured. Republican leaders this week called on Obama to ask Congress for additional funds to pay for the deployment of more troops to Iraq, as Congress and the White House debate defense spending amid mandatory budget cuts. No withdrawal As Islamic State militants have lost part of their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, they increasingly have turned to suicide attacks. These included a bombing in the Iraqi capital last week that left nearly 300 people dead, the most lethal bombing of its kind since the 2003 US-led invasion. Votel was speaking before a gunman killed 80 people and wounded scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French Riviera city of Nice. No group has claimed responsibility. Votel cautioned that even after Islamic State eventually loses Mosul and the Syrian city of al-Raqqa, Americans should not expect a rapid, wholesale withdrawal from the country. "What we don't want to do is declare victory and depart after that. I think we want to see this through," Votel said. If Islamic State fighters shift to other locations, outside those cities, Votel said it was important to have US military resources in place "to ensure we can achieve that lasting defeat". "If there's capabilities we don't need, we will remove them. Likewise if there's capabilities we do need that we don't have, we'll ask for them," Votel said, describing an evolving campaign that won't end soon. (Reuters)

US military likely to seek additional troops in Iraq: US general

At least nine people were killed and 32 wounded on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives was detonated in a district just north of Baghdad, security and medical sources said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in Rashidiya, but Islamic State regularly carries out such bombings in the capital and other parts of Iraq, where it seized large swathes of territory in 2014.

Baghdad is on high alert for attacks after a blast in the central Karrada district on July 3 killed at least 292 people, making it one of the deadliest bombings in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago.

Islamic State has turned increasingly to ad hoc attacks, which US&nbsp;and Iraqi officials have touted as proof that battlefield setbacks are weakening the jihadists. But critics say a global uptick in suicide attacks attributed to the group suggests it may adapt and survive. 
 
(Reuters)

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast

At least nine people were killed and 32 wounded on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives was detonated in a district just north of Baghdad, security and medical sources said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast in Rashidiya, but Islamic State regularly carries out such bombings in the capital and other parts of Iraq, where it seized large swathes of territory in 2014. Baghdad is on high alert for attacks after a blast in the central Karrada district on July 3 killed at least 292 people, making it one of the deadliest bombings in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. Islamic State has turned increasingly to ad hoc attacks, which US and Iraqi officials have touted as proof that battlefield setbacks are weakening the jihadists. But critics say a global uptick in suicide attacks attributed to the group suggests it may adapt and survive. (Reuters)

Car bomb kills nine north of Baghdad, say sources

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter held taks in Baghdad today over the fight against the Islamic State group and the strategy to recapture Iraq&#39;s second city Mosul from the jihadists. 
 
Carter met with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi, two days after Iraq announced the recapture of a base south of Mosul seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the city. 
 
Carter&#39;s unannounced visit is&nbsp;his fourth to Iraq since beginning his job in February 2015, which&nbsp;comes two days after Iraqi forces captured an airbase to the south of Mosul that is seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the country&#39;s second city, which has been under IS control since June 2014. 
 
IS losing ground in Syria, Iraq; Carter wants to highlight successes&nbsp; 
 
IS also holds territory in neighbouring Syria, but has lost significant ground in both countries, and Carter wants to highlight successes, even as the jihadists have struck back with devastating attacks in Iraq and abroad. 
 
The Sunni extremists have carried out bloody attacks against civilians as they lose ground, including a bombing in Baghdad that killed 292 people this month, one of the deadliest to ever hit the country. 
 
&quot;Let me begin... by expressing the condolences of myself and the United States for the terrorist attacks against the people of Iraq in recent weeks,&quot; Carter told Abadi. 
 
&quot;You have our sympathy but also it further strengthens our resolve to help in the defeat of (IS), which all of our societies need because all of our societies are subject to attacks.&quot;&quot;I also want to congratulate you on the string of successes that the Iraqi security forces have had,&quot; said Carter. 
 
The Qayyarah airbase, which Abadi announced Saturday had been recaptured, is located 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul and can serve as a launchpad for future operations to recapture the city. 
 
&#39;Ultimate goal is recapture of Iraqi territory&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Ahead of his meetings, Carter told journalists that he would discuss the next moves in the war against the jihadists. 
 
&quot;What I&#39;ll be discussing with Prime Minister Abadi and our commanders there are the next plays in the campaign, which involve the collapse and control over Mosul,&quot; Carter said aboard a military plane. 
 
The ultimate goal, he added, was &quot;the recapture of all of Iraqi territory by the Iraqi security forces, but of course Mosul is the biggest part of that.&quot; 
 
US defence officials say the campaign`s first &quot;10 plays&quot; have been successfully completed in the US-led counter-IS campaign in Iraq and Syria. 
 
These steps include the recapture of several important areas across the two countries, including Ramadi in Iraq and Al-Shadadi, a town in northeastern Syria previously considered a strategic IS stronghold.&nbsp; 
 
Pentagon has announced a series a measures to speed up war&nbsp; 
 
Carter and President Barack Obama have been criticised for the pace of the campaign, which began in autumn 2014 and got off to a slow start, particularly in war-torn Syria, where the United States had few assets on the ground to provide targeting information.The Pentagon has announced a series of measures to speed up the war, including a revised mission to train anti-IS rebels in northern Syria and extra advisers for Iraqi forces. 
 
Coupled with coalition air support, the results have seen the IS group losing roughly half its territory in Iraq and about 20 percent of its Syria claim, the Pentagon said. 
 
But the jihadists have struck back against civilians as they lost ground. 
 
On July 3, IS carried out the devastating bombing targeting shoppers in Baghdad that killed 292, many of whom were burned alive, sparking widespread anger among Iraqis, some of whom have accused the government of not doing enough to protect them. 
 
Four days later, the jihadists struck a Shiite shrine north the capital, leaving another 40 dead. 
 
Carter was also to meet with US troops, of whom there are now about 4,000 in Iraq, mainly to train local forces. 
 
The Pentagon chief will also phone Massud Barzani, the de facto president of Iraq`s Kurdistan region. 
 
The United States has pledged $415 million to help Kurdish peshmerga fighters as they join the fight for Mosul, moving in from the north. 
 
 
(AFP)

Ashton Carter's visit come 2 days after Iraq announced recapture of a base south of Mosul, seen as an important step

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter held taks in Baghdad today over the fight against the Islamic State group and the strategy to recapture Iraq's second city Mosul from the jihadists. Carter met with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi, two days after Iraq announced the recapture of a base south of Mosul seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the city. Carter's unannounced visit is his fourth to Iraq since beginning his job in February 2015, which comes two days after Iraqi forces captured an airbase to the south of Mosul that is seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the country's second city, which has been under IS control since June 2014. IS losing ground in Syria, Iraq; Carter wants to highlight successes IS also holds territory in neighbouring Syria, but has lost significant ground in both countries, and Carter wants to highlight successes, even as the jihadists have struck back with devastating attacks in Iraq and abroad. The Sunni extremists have carried out bloody attacks against civilians as they lose ground, including a bombing in Baghdad that killed 292 people this month, one of the deadliest to ever hit the country. "Let me begin... by expressing the condolences of myself and the United States for the terrorist attacks against the people of Iraq in recent weeks," Carter told Abadi. "You have our sympathy but also it further strengthens our resolve to help in the defeat of (IS), which all of our societies need because all of our societies are subject to attacks.""I also want to congratulate you on the string of successes that the Iraqi security forces have had," said Carter. The Qayyarah airbase, which Abadi announced Saturday had been recaptured, is located 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul and can serve as a launchpad for future operations to recapture the city. 'Ultimate goal is recapture of Iraqi territory' Ahead of his meetings, Carter told journalists that he would discuss the next moves in the war against the jihadists. "What I'll be discussing with Prime Minister Abadi and our commanders there are the next plays in the campaign, which involve the collapse and control over Mosul," Carter said aboard a military plane. The ultimate goal, he added, was "the recapture of all of Iraqi territory by the Iraqi security forces, but of course Mosul is the biggest part of that." US defence officials say the campaign`s first "10 plays" have been successfully completed in the US-led counter-IS campaign in Iraq and Syria. These steps include the recapture of several important areas across the two countries, including Ramadi in Iraq and Al-Shadadi, a town in northeastern Syria previously considered a strategic IS stronghold. Pentagon has announced a series a measures to speed up war Carter and President Barack Obama have been criticised for the pace of the campaign, which began in autumn 2014 and got off to a slow start, particularly in war-torn Syria, where the United States had few assets on the ground to provide targeting information.The Pentagon has announced a series of measures to speed up the war, including a revised mission to train anti-IS rebels in northern Syria and extra advisers for Iraqi forces. Coupled with coalition air support, the results have seen the IS group losing roughly half its territory in Iraq and about 20 percent of its Syria claim, the Pentagon said. But the jihadists have struck back against civilians as they lost ground. On July 3, IS carried out the devastating bombing targeting shoppers in Baghdad that killed 292, many of whom were burned alive, sparking widespread anger among Iraqis, some of whom have accused the government of not doing enough to protect them. Four days later, the jihadists struck a Shiite shrine north the capital, leaving another 40 dead. Carter was also to meet with US troops, of whom there are now about 4,000 in Iraq, mainly to train local forces. The Pentagon chief will also phone Massud Barzani, the de facto president of Iraq`s Kurdistan region. The United States has pledged $415 million to help Kurdish peshmerga fighters as they join the fight for Mosul, moving in from the north. (AFP)

Pentagon chief visits Baghdad to step up fight against Islamic State

Islamic State (IS) lost an area the size of Ireland,&nbsp;a quarter of its territory,&nbsp;to hostile forces in the last 18 months in Iraq and Syria and is likely to further step up attacks on civilians in coming months, a leading research firm&nbsp;Information handling Services (IHS)&nbsp;said in a report today.

The territory controlled by the ultra-hardline Sunni group shrank from 90,800 sq km (35,000 square miles) in January 2015, six months after it declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, to 68,300 sq km (26,370 square miles), the research firm said.

This has led the group to step up attacks on civilian targets in the Middle East and in Europe and this is likely to intensify, IHS stated.

&quot;As the Islamic State&#39;s caliphate shrinks and it becomes increasingly clear that its governance project is failing, the group is re-prioritising insurgency,&quot; said Columb Strack, senior analyst at IHS and lead analyst for the IHS Conflict Monitor.

&quot;As a result, we unfortunately expect an increase in mass casualty attacks and sabotage of economic infrastructure, across Iraq and Syria, and further afield, including Europe,&quot; &nbsp;he added.&nbsp; 
 
IS lost control of stronghold in&nbsp;Falluja, Ramadi&nbsp;

The Iraqi military&#39;s recapture of Falluja, an Islamic State stronghold just west of Baghdad, last month has led the insurgents to step up bombings on Shi&#39;ite Muslim targets.

Nearly 300 people died when an Islamic State suicide bomber struck in a busy shopping district in Baghdad a week ago, in one of the worst such attacks by the group to date.

Islamic State lost control of the city of Ramadi at the end of last year, another key stronghold for the group which captured large swathes of Iraq in 2014. The army is now gearing up to retake Mosul, the largest city in Iraq&#39;s north and Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital.

In Syria, the militants lost ground this year to both Russian and Iranian-backed forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad and to the US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance.

In February the SDF captured the town of al Shadadi, a major logistics hub for the militants, and in March Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes drove Islamic State out of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra and surrounding areas.

An SDF advance is underway to retake areas north of Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital in Syria, Raqqa. 
 
(Reuters)

This has led the group to step up attacks on civilian targets in the Middle East and in Europe, according to a leading research firm

Islamic State (IS) lost an area the size of Ireland, a quarter of its territory, to hostile forces in the last 18 months in Iraq and Syria and is likely to further step up attacks on civilians in coming months, a leading research firm Information handling Services (IHS) said in a report today. The territory controlled by the ultra-hardline Sunni group shrank from 90,800 sq km (35,000 square miles) in January 2015, six months after it declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, to 68,300 sq km (26,370 square miles), the research firm said. This has led the group to step up attacks on civilian targets in the Middle East and in Europe and this is likely to intensify, IHS stated. "As the Islamic State's caliphate shrinks and it becomes increasingly clear that its governance project is failing, the group is re-prioritising insurgency," said Columb Strack, senior analyst at IHS and lead analyst for the IHS Conflict Monitor. "As a result, we unfortunately expect an increase in mass casualty attacks and sabotage of economic infrastructure, across Iraq and Syria, and further afield, including Europe," he added. IS lost control of stronghold in Falluja, Ramadi The Iraqi military's recapture of Falluja, an Islamic State stronghold just west of Baghdad, last month has led the insurgents to step up bombings on Shi'ite Muslim targets. Nearly 300 people died when an Islamic State suicide bomber struck in a busy shopping district in Baghdad a week ago, in one of the worst such attacks by the group to date. Islamic State lost control of the city of Ramadi at the end of last year, another key stronghold for the group which captured large swathes of Iraq in 2014. The army is now gearing up to retake Mosul, the largest city in Iraq's north and Islamic State's de facto capital. In Syria, the militants lost ground this year to both Russian and Iranian-backed forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad and to the US-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance. In February the SDF captured the town of al Shadadi, a major logistics hub for the militants, and in March Syrian and allied forces backed by Russian air strikes drove Islamic State out of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra and surrounding areas. An SDF advance is underway to retake areas north of Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria, Raqqa. (Reuters)

IS lost quarter of its territory in Syria, Iraq in 18 months, says research firm

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday dismissed three top officials in charge of Baghdad&#39;s security after a bombing over the weekend killed nearly 300 people and caused outrage at the inadequacy of emergency services and the security apparatus. 
 
Abadi issued &quot;an order to relieve the Baghdad Operations commander of his position, and relieving security and intelligence officials in Baghdad of their positions,&quot; a statement said.&nbsp;A statement posted on his Facebook page said he had fired the commander of military operations, security services and intelligence in the capital. 
 
The bombing, claimed by the militant group Islamic State, was the deadliest bombing in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Baghdad bombing incident ahead of Eid ul-Fitr that claimed at least 292 lives is one of the deadliest attacks in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday dismissed three top officials in charge of Baghdad's security after a bombing over the weekend killed nearly 300 people and caused outrage at the inadequacy of emergency services and the security apparatus. Abadi issued "an order to relieve the Baghdad Operations commander of his position, and relieving security and intelligence officials in Baghdad of their positions," a statement said. A statement posted on his Facebook page said he had fired the commander of military operations, security services and intelligence in the capital. The bombing, claimed by the militant group Islamic State, was the deadliest bombing in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. (AFP)

Iraq PM sacks three top Baghdad security officials after deadly attack

The death toll from a suicide bombing in Baghdad this weekend has reached 292, Iraq&#39;s health ministry said on Thursday. 
 
The attack, claimed by the militant group Islamic State, which government forces are trying to eject from large parts of the north and west of the country, was the deadliest bombing in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. 
 
More than 200 were wounded in the attack in a busy shopping street in the mainly Shi&#39;ite Karrada district of central Baghdad. About 23 of the wounded were still in hospital, health ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Rudaini told Reuters. 
 
Earlier on Thursday, the ministry had put the toll at 281 and it rose as more people, registered as missing, were identified as dead, Rudaini said. 
 
(Reuters)

About 23 of the wounded were still in hospital, health ministry official Ahmed al-Rudaini said

The death toll from a suicide bombing in Baghdad this weekend has reached 292, Iraq's health ministry said on Thursday. The attack, claimed by the militant group Islamic State, which government forces are trying to eject from large parts of the north and west of the country, was the deadliest bombing in Iraq since US-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. More than 200 were wounded in the attack in a busy shopping street in the mainly Shi'ite Karrada district of central Baghdad. About 23 of the wounded were still in hospital, health ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Rudaini told Reuters. Earlier on Thursday, the ministry had put the toll at 281 and it rose as more people, registered as missing, were identified as dead, Rudaini said. (Reuters)

Baghdad bombing death toll rises to 292

Britain&#39;s decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003 had a &quot;far from satisfactory&quot; legal basis and ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair&#39;s case for military action was over-hyped, a long-awaited inquiry into the conflict concluded on Wednesday. 
 
The intelligence about Iraq&#39;s alleged weapons of mass destruction which Blair used to justify joining the US-led invasion, which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein and the deaths of 179 British soldiers, was flawed but went unchallenged, inquiry chairman John Chilcot said. 
 
There was no imminent threat from Saddam in March 2003 and the chaos in Iraq and the region which followed should also have been foreseen, he added. 
 
&quot;The inquiry has not expressed a view on whether military action was legal,&quot; Chilcot told reporters and relatives of some of the soldiers killed in Iraq. &quot;We have, however, concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for military action were far from satisfactory.&quot; 
 
Blair&#39;s statement to parliament in 2002 about the risk posed by Iraq&#39;s alleged weapons of mass destruction and an intelligence dossier to the public that accompanied it were presented with a &quot;certainty that was not justified&quot;, Chilcot said. 
 
(Reuters)

The intelligence about Iraq's alleged WMD, which Blair used to justify joining the US-led invasion, was flawed but went unchallenged

Britain's decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003 had a "far from satisfactory" legal basis and ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair's case for military action was over-hyped, a long-awaited inquiry into the conflict concluded on Wednesday. The intelligence about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction which Blair used to justify joining the US-led invasion, which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein and the deaths of 179 British soldiers, was flawed but went unchallenged, inquiry chairman John Chilcot said. There was no imminent threat from Saddam in March 2003 and the chaos in Iraq and the region which followed should also have been foreseen, he added. "The inquiry has not expressed a view on whether military action was legal," Chilcot told reporters and relatives of some of the soldiers killed in Iraq. "We have, however, concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for military action were far from satisfactory." Blair's statement to parliament in 2002 about the risk posed by Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction and an intelligence dossier to the public that accompanied it were presented with a "certainty that was not justified", Chilcot said. (Reuters)

Legal case for Britain's 2003 invasion of Iraq 'far from satisfactory', finds inquiry

A British inquiry into the Iraq War strongly criticised former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his government on Wednesday, saying they had led the country into war based on flawed intelligence that should have been challenged. 
 
The long-awaited inquiry report also said Britain had joined the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 without exhausting peaceful options, that the legal basis for military action was not satisfactory, and that the planning was wholly inadequate. 
 
Published seven years after the inquiry was set up, the report runs to 2.6 million words -- about three times the length of the Bible -- and includes details of exchanges Blair had with then US President George W Bush over the invasion. 
 
&quot;It is now clear that policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments. They were not challenged and they should have been,&quot; the head of the inquiry, John Chilcot said in presenting its findings. 
 
Iraq remains in chaos to this day. Islamic State controls large areas of the country and 250 people died on Saturday in Baghdad&#39;s worst car bombing since the US-led coalition toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. The inquiry rejected Blair&#39;s view that Iraq&#39;s post-invasion problems could not have been known in advance. 
 
The inquiry&#39;s purpose was for the British government to learn lessons from the invasion and occupation that followed, in which 179 British soldiers died. 
 
Opponents of Blairs decision to join the war will pore over the report for its judgment on how the Labour leader, who quit in 2007, justified the military action. At the time, he said intelligence showed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction but after the invasion none was found. 
 
&quot;I was lied to. The media, the press, the families, parliament, everybody was lied to,&quot; Reg Keys, whose son was among the British fatalities and who stood as a candidate for parliament against Blair in the 2005 election, told Reuters TV ahead of the reports publication. 
 
Blair has always rejected any suggestions he acted dishonestly. He was expected to give his reaction to the report later on Wednesday. 
 
The inquiry looked at the reasons for the invasion, the war itself and the aftermath - and has taken longer to complete than the British military involvement itself. 
 
Public hearings, including two appearances by Blair, ended in 2011 but since then the writing of the report has been dogged by rows over the release of secret government files and the contacts between London and Washington. It includes details of notes from Blair to Bush and quotes from more than 130 records of their conversations. 
 
Critics believe Blair, who sent 45,000 British troops for the invasion, gave Bush an unconditional promise that Britain would join military action and that he then distorted intelligence to back this up and put pressure on government lawyers to give the invasion legal approval. 
 
Keys noted that Chilcot had said the inquiry would not play the blame game. 
 
&quot;But I certainly hope it points the finger of accountability in the direction of the former prime minister who was the key player with all of this deceit,&quot; Keys said. 
 
However, he said he feared the report might be watered down as those facing criticism have been allowed to respond prior to publication. 
 
In an interview with CNN last October, Blair apologised that the pre-war intelligence had been wrong and for mistakes in planning, but not for getting rid of Saddam. 
 
He also accepted the war had played a role in the rise of Islamic State but it was far from the only factor. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve said many times over these past years, Ill wait for the report and then I will make my views known and express myself fully and properly,&quot; Blair told Sky News on Sunday. 
 
British media said lawmakers led by the Scottish National Party were considering invoking an ancient law, last used in 1806, to impeach Blair in parliament. 
 
&quot;You cannot have a situation where this country blunders into an illegal war with the appalling consequences and at the end of the day there isn`t a reckoning,&quot; SNP lawmaker Alex Salmond told Sky News. 
 
The Sunday Times newspaper also reported that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - whose own position is in jeopardy after Britain voted last month to leave the European Union - was simply hanging on because he wanted to &quot;crucify Blair&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;I will take full responsibility&#39;
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would take full responsibility for the failings made in the build up to the invasion of Iraq when he responds to a long-awaited inquiry later on Wednesday.

Inquiry Chairman John Chilcot said earlier on Wednesday that Blair&#39;s case for military action had been over-hyped.

&quot;The report should lay to rest allegations of bad faith, lies or deceit,&quot; Blair said in an initial response. &quot;Whether people agree or disagree with my decision to take military action against Saddam Hussein; I took it in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country.&quot;

Blair noted that the Chilcot report did make real and material criticisms of the preparation and planning for the war.

&quot;I will respond in detail to them later this afternoon,&quot; he said in a statement. &quot;I will take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse.&quot;
 
(Reuters)

Report finds Britain joined the invasion without exhausting peaceful options. Then PM Tony Blair says 'I will take full responsibility'

A British inquiry into the Iraq War strongly criticised former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his government on Wednesday, saying they had led the country into war based on flawed intelligence that should have been challenged. The long-awaited inquiry report also said Britain had joined the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 without exhausting peaceful options, that the legal basis for military action was not satisfactory, and that the planning was wholly inadequate. Published seven years after the inquiry was set up, the report runs to 2.6 million words -- about three times the length of the Bible -- and includes details of exchanges Blair had with then US President George W Bush over the invasion. "It is now clear that policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments. They were not challenged and they should have been," the head of the inquiry, John Chilcot said in presenting its findings. Iraq remains in chaos to this day. Islamic State controls large areas of the country and 250 people died on Saturday in Baghdad's worst car bombing since the US-led coalition toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. The inquiry rejected Blair's view that Iraq's post-invasion problems could not have been known in advance. The inquiry's purpose was for the British government to learn lessons from the invasion and occupation that followed, in which 179 British soldiers died. Opponents of Blairs decision to join the war will pore over the report for its judgment on how the Labour leader, who quit in 2007, justified the military action. At the time, he said intelligence showed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction but after the invasion none was found. "I was lied to. The media, the press, the families, parliament, everybody was lied to," Reg Keys, whose son was among the British fatalities and who stood as a candidate for parliament against Blair in the 2005 election, told Reuters TV ahead of the reports publication. Blair has always rejected any suggestions he acted dishonestly. He was expected to give his reaction to the report later on Wednesday. The inquiry looked at the reasons for the invasion, the war itself and the aftermath - and has taken longer to complete than the British military involvement itself. Public hearings, including two appearances by Blair, ended in 2011 but since then the writing of the report has been dogged by rows over the release of secret government files and the contacts between London and Washington. It includes details of notes from Blair to Bush and quotes from more than 130 records of their conversations. Critics believe Blair, who sent 45,000 British troops for the invasion, gave Bush an unconditional promise that Britain would join military action and that he then distorted intelligence to back this up and put pressure on government lawyers to give the invasion legal approval. Keys noted that Chilcot had said the inquiry would not play the blame game. "But I certainly hope it points the finger of accountability in the direction of the former prime minister who was the key player with all of this deceit," Keys said. However, he said he feared the report might be watered down as those facing criticism have been allowed to respond prior to publication. In an interview with CNN last October, Blair apologised that the pre-war intelligence had been wrong and for mistakes in planning, but not for getting rid of Saddam. He also accepted the war had played a role in the rise of Islamic State but it was far from the only factor. "I've said many times over these past years, Ill wait for the report and then I will make my views known and express myself fully and properly," Blair told Sky News on Sunday. British media said lawmakers led by the Scottish National Party were considering invoking an ancient law, last used in 1806, to impeach Blair in parliament. "You cannot have a situation where this country blunders into an illegal war with the appalling consequences and at the end of the day there isn`t a reckoning," SNP lawmaker Alex Salmond told Sky News. The Sunday Times newspaper also reported that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - whose own position is in jeopardy after Britain voted last month to leave the European Union - was simply hanging on because he wanted to "crucify Blair". 'I will take full responsibility' Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would take full responsibility for the failings made in the build up to the invasion of Iraq when he responds to a long-awaited inquiry later on Wednesday. Inquiry Chairman John Chilcot said earlier on Wednesday that Blair's case for military action had been over-hyped. "The report should lay to rest allegations of bad faith, lies or deceit," Blair said in an initial response. "Whether people agree or disagree with my decision to take military action against Saddam Hussein; I took it in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country." Blair noted that the Chilcot report did make real and material criticisms of the preparation and planning for the war. "I will respond in detail to them later this afternoon," he said in a statement. "I will take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse." (Reuters)

Blair led Britain into Iraq War on flawed intelligence: UK inquiry

The death toll from a suicide bombing in a Baghdad shopping district has risen to over 150, fueling calls for security forces to crack down on Islamic State sleeper cells blamed for one of the worst ever single bombings in Iraq. 
 
Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble in the Karrada area of Baghdad, where a refrigerator truck packed with explosives blew up on Saturday night when people were out celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. 
 
The toll in Karrada stood at 151 killed and 200 wounded by midday on Monday, according to police and medical sources. Rescuers and families were still looking for 35 missing people. 
 
Islamic State claimed the attack, saying it was a suicide bombing. Another explosion struck in the same night, when a roadside bomb blew up in popular market of al-Shaab, a Shi&#39;ite district in north Baghdad, killing two people. 
 
The attacks cast a shadow over victory statements made last month by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi&#39;s government, after Iraqi forces dislodged Islamic State from Falluja, the stronghold of the ultra-hardline Sunni insurgents near Baghdad. 
 
Government officials ordered the offensive on Falluja in May after a series of deadly bombings in Shi&#39;ite areas of Baghdad that they said originated from Falluja, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the capital. 
 
&quot;Abadi has to have a meeting with the heads of national security, intelligence, the interior ministry and all sides responsible for security and ask them just one question: How can we infiltrate these groups?&quot; said Abdul Kareem Khalaf, a former police Major General who advises the Netherlands-based European Centre for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies think tank. 
 
In a sign of public outrage at the failure of the security services, Abadi was given an angry reception on Sunday when he toured Karrada, the district where he grew up, with residents throwing stones, empty buckets and even slippers at his convoy in gestures of contempt. 
 
He ordered new measures to protect Baghdad, starting with the withdrawal of fake bomb detectors that police have continued to use despite a scandal that broke out in 2011 about their sale to Iraq under his predecessor, Nuri al-Maliki. 
 
The hand-held devices were initially developed to find lost golf balls, and the British businessman who sold them to Iraq for $40 million was jailed in Britain in 2013. 
 
Abadi ordered that the fake devices be replaced by efficient detectors at the entrances to Baghdad and Iraq&#39;s provinces. 
 
Karrada, a largely Shi&#39;ite district with a small Christian community and a few Sunni mosques, was busy at the time of the blast as people were eating out and shopping late during Ramadan, which ends this week with the Eid al-Fitr festival. 
 
Falluja was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. Abadi said the next target of the Iraqi forces is Mosul, the de facto capital of the militants and the largest city under their control in both Iraq and Syria. 
 
(Reuters)

Residents expressed outrage at the failure of the security services by throwing stones, empty buckets and even slippers at PM Abadi's convoy

The death toll from a suicide bombing in a Baghdad shopping district has risen to over 150, fueling calls for security forces to crack down on Islamic State sleeper cells blamed for one of the worst ever single bombings in Iraq. Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble in the Karrada area of Baghdad, where a refrigerator truck packed with explosives blew up on Saturday night when people were out celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. The toll in Karrada stood at 151 killed and 200 wounded by midday on Monday, according to police and medical sources. Rescuers and families were still looking for 35 missing people. Islamic State claimed the attack, saying it was a suicide bombing. Another explosion struck in the same night, when a roadside bomb blew up in popular market of al-Shaab, a Shi'ite district in north Baghdad, killing two people. The attacks cast a shadow over victory statements made last month by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's government, after Iraqi forces dislodged Islamic State from Falluja, the stronghold of the ultra-hardline Sunni insurgents near Baghdad. Government officials ordered the offensive on Falluja in May after a series of deadly bombings in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad that they said originated from Falluja, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the capital. "Abadi has to have a meeting with the heads of national security, intelligence, the interior ministry and all sides responsible for security and ask them just one question: How can we infiltrate these groups?" said Abdul Kareem Khalaf, a former police Major General who advises the Netherlands-based European Centre for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies think tank. In a sign of public outrage at the failure of the security services, Abadi was given an angry reception on Sunday when he toured Karrada, the district where he grew up, with residents throwing stones, empty buckets and even slippers at his convoy in gestures of contempt. He ordered new measures to protect Baghdad, starting with the withdrawal of fake bomb detectors that police have continued to use despite a scandal that broke out in 2011 about their sale to Iraq under his predecessor, Nuri al-Maliki. The hand-held devices were initially developed to find lost golf balls, and the British businessman who sold them to Iraq for $40 million was jailed in Britain in 2013. Abadi ordered that the fake devices be replaced by efficient detectors at the entrances to Baghdad and Iraq's provinces. Karrada, a largely Shi'ite district with a small Christian community and a few Sunni mosques, was busy at the time of the blast as people were eating out and shopping late during Ramadan, which ends this week with the Eid al-Fitr festival. Falluja was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. Abadi said the next target of the Iraqi forces is Mosul, the de facto capital of the militants and the largest city under their control in both Iraq and Syria. (Reuters)

Iraqis want crackdown on 'sleeper cells' after suicide attack in Baghdad

At least 213 were killed in Sunday&#39;s Baghdad suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said, making it one of the deadliest ever militant attacks in Iraq. 
 
The suicide car bombing, which ripped through a crowded shopping area and sparked fires in nearby buildings, also wounded more than 200, security and medical officials told AFP on Monday. 
 
The area in the capital&#39;s Karrada district was crowded with shoppers ahead of the holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. 
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed &quot;punishment&quot; for those responsible, and his office declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. 
 
According to Reuters news agency, police and medical sources said on Monday that the death toll from the double bomb attack has risen to 147 and another 35 are missing. 
 
Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble and people succumbed to their injuries, the officials added. 
 
(Agencies)

Iraq declared three days of mourning for the victims

At least 213 were killed in Sunday's Baghdad suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said, making it one of the deadliest ever militant attacks in Iraq. The suicide car bombing, which ripped through a crowded shopping area and sparked fires in nearby buildings, also wounded more than 200, security and medical officials told AFP on Monday. The area in the capital's Karrada district was crowded with shoppers ahead of the holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed "punishment" for those responsible, and his office declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. According to Reuters news agency, police and medical sources said on Monday that the death toll from the double bomb attack has risen to 147 and another 35 are missing. Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble and people succumbed to their injuries, the officials added. (Agencies)

Death toll touches 200 in IS-claimed Baghdad blasts: officials

US-led coalition aircraft waged a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State Wednesday around the city of Fallujah, US officials told Reuters, with one citing a preliminary estimate of at least 250 suspected fighters killed and at least 40 vehicles destroyed. 
 
If the figures are confirmed, the strikes would be among the most deadly ever against the jihadist group. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the operation and noted preliminary estimates can change. 
 
The strikes, which the officials said took place south of the city, where civilians have also been displaced, are just the latest battlefield setback suffered by Islamic State in its self-proclaimed &quot;caliphate&quot; of Iraq and Syria. 
 
The group&#39;s territorial losses are not diminishing concerns about its intent and ability to strike abroad though. Turkey pointed the finger at Islamic State today for a triple suicide bombing and gun attack that killed 41 people at Istanbul&#39;s main airport. 
 
CIA chief John&nbsp;Brennan told a forum in Washington the attack bore the hallmarks of Islamic State &quot;depravity&quot; and acknowledged there was a long road ahead battling the group, particularly its ability to incite attacks. 
 
&quot;We&rsquo;ve made, I think, some significant progress, along with our coalition partners, in Syria and Iraq, where most of the ISIS members are resident right now,&quot; Brennan said. 
 
&quot;But ISIS&#39; ability to continue to propagate its narrative, as well as to incite and carry out these attacks -- I think we still have a ways to go before we&rsquo;re able to say that we have made some significant progress against them.&quot; 
 
On the battlefield, the US-led campaign against IS has moved up a gear in recent weeks, with the government declaring victory over Islamic State in Fallujah. 
 
An alliance of militias have also launched a major offensive against the militant group in the city of Manbij in northern Syria. 
 
Still, in a reminder of the back-and-forth nature of the war, US-backed Syrian rebels were pushed back from the outskirts of an Islamic State-held town on the border with Iraq and a nearby air base today after the jihadists mounted a counter- attack, two rebel sources said. 
 
(Reuters)

If the figures are confirmed, the airstrikes would be among the most deadly ever against the jihadist group

US-led coalition aircraft waged a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State Wednesday around the city of Fallujah, US officials told Reuters, with one citing a preliminary estimate of at least 250 suspected fighters killed and at least 40 vehicles destroyed. If the figures are confirmed, the strikes would be among the most deadly ever against the jihadist group. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the operation and noted preliminary estimates can change. The strikes, which the officials said took place south of the city, where civilians have also been displaced, are just the latest battlefield setback suffered by Islamic State in its self-proclaimed "caliphate" of Iraq and Syria. The group's territorial losses are not diminishing concerns about its intent and ability to strike abroad though. Turkey pointed the finger at Islamic State today for a triple suicide bombing and gun attack that killed 41 people at Istanbul's main airport. CIA chief John Brennan told a forum in Washington the attack bore the hallmarks of Islamic State "depravity" and acknowledged there was a long road ahead battling the group, particularly its ability to incite attacks. "We’ve made, I think, some significant progress, along with our coalition partners, in Syria and Iraq, where most of the ISIS members are resident right now," Brennan said. "But ISIS' ability to continue to propagate its narrative, as well as to incite and carry out these attacks -- I think we still have a ways to go before we’re able to say that we have made some significant progress against them." On the battlefield, the US-led campaign against IS has moved up a gear in recent weeks, with the government declaring victory over Islamic State in Fallujah. An alliance of militias have also launched a major offensive against the militant group in the city of Manbij in northern Syria. Still, in a reminder of the back-and-forth nature of the war, US-backed Syrian rebels were pushed back from the outskirts of an Islamic State-held town on the border with Iraq and a nearby air base today after the jihadists mounted a counter- attack, two rebel sources said. (Reuters)

US-led coalition hits IS around Fallujah, 250 fighters suspected killed

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi&nbsp;woman from Iraq, endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
After her harrowing escape with the help of a fake religious ID nearly two years ago, Murad has a message for world leaders striving to crush the extremists: IS leaders must stand trial for genocide. 
 
&quot;Genocide must be recognised,&quot; Nadia Murad told AFP through a translator in Geneva, on the side of a human rights event held in the Swiss city. 
 
As Iraq wages an offensive against Islamic State, with government forces retaking full control of the jihadist bastion of Fallujah on Sunday, UN investigators are making a renewed push for justice for the jihadists&#39; victims. 
 
The Yazidis, neither Muslim nor Arab, are an ancient religious minority of more than half a million people concentrated near the Syrian border in northern Iraq. 
 
The Islamic State despises the Kurdish-speaking gropu because Yazidis are not &quot;people of the book&quot;, meaning their faith does not adhere to the theological tradition that begins with Abraham of the Old Testament and extends through the Koran. 
 
In 2014, IS jihadists massacred Yazidis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar, forcing tens of thousands of them to flee, and capturing thousands of girls and women as spoils of war. 
 
The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria earlier this month said it had compiled evidence proving that IS was perpetrating a genocide against the Yazidis. 
 
With Iraqi leaders hailing their recent victories over IS in Fallujah and weighing a new operation to flush them out of their northern strongholds like Mosul, Nadia Murad insisted that the need for accountability should not be forgotten. 
 
Forced Islam conversion 
 
She was taken by the Islamic State from her home village in August 2014 and brought to Mosul. 
 
&quot;The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam,&quot; she said. &quot;After conversion, they did whatever they wanted to do.&quot; 
 
During a speech held in December 2015 at the UN Security Council, Murad recounted her so-called &#39;marriage&#39; to one IS captor, who subjected her to horrific abuse. 
 
&quot;I was not able to take any more rape and torture,&quot; she told. She decided to flee. 
 
On the run in Mosul, Murad said she was terrified that no one would help her, but she ultimately found shelter with a Muslim family in the city. 
 
&quot;They made me a fake Islamic ID,&quot; she said, which she used to cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. 
 
She lived in a camp for displaced people and, with the support of theYazidi&nbsp;welfare organisation Yazda, relocated to Germany, where she now lives with her sister. 
 
&#39;Roadmap for prosecutions&#39; 
 
The United Nations and several other Western institutions&nbsp;suggested last year that the IS assault on the Yazidis amounted to a premeditated, genocidal effort to exterminate an entire community. 
 
The evidence presented by the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this month was more conclusive. 
 
COI member and former international prosecutor Carla del Ponte described the commission&#39;s report as &quot;a roadmap for prosecutions&quot;. 
 
Supported by witness testimony, the commission found that IS &quot;sought to erase the Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment&quot;. 
 
Referring heinous, mass crimes to the International Criminal Court often meets obstacles in the UN Security Council for political reasons. 
 
But COI members expressed hope that the&nbsp;Yazidi&nbsp;case could be investigated by The Hague-based International Criminal Court. 
 
Nadia Murad, one of 376 people and organisations nominated for this year&#39;s Nobel Peace Prize, broke down in tears as she told a UN audience the extent to which her people felt abandoned by the international community. 
 
Speaking at a Human Rights Council event in Geneva last week, she said that anger would intensify if the IS attempt to exterminate the Yazidis did not lead to prosecutions. 
 
&quot;For you to regain the trust of the Yazidis will take a lot of work,&quot; she said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Nadia Murad was held captive as a sex slave. She survived rapes and tortures, and now urges the world to trial IS for genocide

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi woman from Iraq, endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of the Islamic State (IS) group. After her harrowing escape with the help of a fake religious ID nearly two years ago, Murad has a message for world leaders striving to crush the extremists: IS leaders must stand trial for genocide. "Genocide must be recognised," Nadia Murad told AFP through a translator in Geneva, on the side of a human rights event held in the Swiss city. As Iraq wages an offensive against Islamic State, with government forces retaking full control of the jihadist bastion of Fallujah on Sunday, UN investigators are making a renewed push for justice for the jihadists' victims. The Yazidis, neither Muslim nor Arab, are an ancient religious minority of more than half a million people concentrated near the Syrian border in northern Iraq. The Islamic State despises the Kurdish-speaking gropu because Yazidis are not "people of the book", meaning their faith does not adhere to the theological tradition that begins with Abraham of the Old Testament and extends through the Koran. In 2014, IS jihadists massacred Yazidis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar, forcing tens of thousands of them to flee, and capturing thousands of girls and women as spoils of war. The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria earlier this month said it had compiled evidence proving that IS was perpetrating a genocide against the Yazidis. With Iraqi leaders hailing their recent victories over IS in Fallujah and weighing a new operation to flush them out of their northern strongholds like Mosul, Nadia Murad insisted that the need for accountability should not be forgotten. Forced Islam conversion She was taken by the Islamic State from her home village in August 2014 and brought to Mosul. "The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam," she said. "After conversion, they did whatever they wanted to do." During a speech held in December 2015 at the UN Security Council, Murad recounted her so-called 'marriage' to one IS captor, who subjected her to horrific abuse. "I was not able to take any more rape and torture," she told. She decided to flee. On the run in Mosul, Murad said she was terrified that no one would help her, but she ultimately found shelter with a Muslim family in the city. "They made me a fake Islamic ID," she said, which she used to cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. She lived in a camp for displaced people and, with the support of theYazidi welfare organisation Yazda, relocated to Germany, where she now lives with her sister. 'Roadmap for prosecutions' The United Nations and several other Western institutions suggested last year that the IS assault on the Yazidis amounted to a premeditated, genocidal effort to exterminate an entire community. The evidence presented by the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this month was more conclusive. COI member and former international prosecutor Carla del Ponte described the commission's report as "a roadmap for prosecutions". Supported by witness testimony, the commission found that IS "sought to erase the Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment". Referring heinous, mass crimes to the International Criminal Court often meets obstacles in the UN Security Council for political reasons. But COI members expressed hope that the Yazidi case could be investigated by The Hague-based International Criminal Court. Nadia Murad, one of 376 people and organisations nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, broke down in tears as she told a UN audience the extent to which her people felt abandoned by the international community. Speaking at a Human Rights Council event in Geneva last week, she said that anger would intensify if the IS attempt to exterminate the Yazidis did not lead to prosecutions. "For you to regain the trust of the Yazidis will take a lot of work," she said. (AFP)

Islamic State must stand trial for genocide: Yazidi woman survivor

Iraqi forces recaptured the last district held by Islamic State militants in the city of Fallujah today and the general commanding the operation declared the battle complete after nearly five weeks of fighting. 
 
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed victory over Islamic State in Fallujah more than a week ago but fighting continued inside the city west of Baghdad, including in the Golan district. The offensive has been backed by a U.S.-led coalition mostly in the form of air strikes against Islamic State. 
 
&quot;We announce from this place in central Golan district that it has been cleaned by the counter terrorism service and we convey the good news to the Iraqi people that the battle of Fallujah is over,&quot; Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi told state TV. 
 
Flanked by jubilant fighters, some waving Iraqi flags, Saidi said a few militants were still holding out in buildings. At least 1,800 Islamic State fighters were killed in the operation to retake Fallujah, and the rest had fled, he said. 
 
Government troops launched the operation on May 23 to retake Fallujah, a bastion of the Sunni Muslim insurgency against U.S. forces that toppled Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003, and later against Shi&#39;ite-led governments. 
 
Abadi said last week that the recapture of Fallujah would pave the way for the military to march on Mosul, Islamic State&#39;s de facto capital. 
 
Fighting to recapture the Iraqi city has forced more than 85,000 residents to flee to overwhelmed government-run camps. The United Nations says it has received allegations of abuse of civilians fleeing the city, including by members of Shi&#39;ite armed groups supporting the offensive. 
 
The militants seized Fallujah in January 2014, six months before they declared a &quot;caliphate&quot; over part of Syria and Iraq.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Government fighters recapture the last district held by Islamic State in the city

Iraqi forces recaptured the last district held by Islamic State militants in the city of Fallujah today and the general commanding the operation declared the battle complete after nearly five weeks of fighting. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed victory over Islamic State in Fallujah more than a week ago but fighting continued inside the city west of Baghdad, including in the Golan district. The offensive has been backed by a U.S.-led coalition mostly in the form of air strikes against Islamic State. "We announce from this place in central Golan district that it has been cleaned by the counter terrorism service and we convey the good news to the Iraqi people that the battle of Fallujah is over," Lieutenant General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi told state TV. Flanked by jubilant fighters, some waving Iraqi flags, Saidi said a few militants were still holding out in buildings. At least 1,800 Islamic State fighters were killed in the operation to retake Fallujah, and the rest had fled, he said. Government troops launched the operation on May 23 to retake Fallujah, a bastion of the Sunni Muslim insurgency against U.S. forces that toppled Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003, and later against Shi'ite-led governments. Abadi said last week that the recapture of Fallujah would pave the way for the military to march on Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital. Fighting to recapture the Iraqi city has forced more than 85,000 residents to flee to overwhelmed government-run camps. The United Nations says it has received allegations of abuse of civilians fleeing the city, including by members of Shi'ite armed groups supporting the offensive. The militants seized Fallujah in January 2014, six months before they declared a "caliphate" over part of Syria and Iraq. (Reuters)

Battle over, say Iraqi forces in Fallujah

Heavy fighting between Islamic State (IS) militants and government security forces has claimed dozens of lives in eastern Afghanistan, officials said today. 
 
In recent months insurgents claiming allegiance to Islamic State had largely appeared to be bottled up in a mountainous area along the border with Pakistan under threat of US air strikes. 
 
The latest attacks indicate the group remains a potent threat to a government already battling an insurgency dominated by the rival Taliban. 
 
At least a dozen Afghan security forces and civilians had been killed, with another 18 wounded, Nangarhar province governor Saleem Khan Kunduzi said in a statement. 
 
Local officials claimed more than 100 Islamic State fighters had been killed in fighting in Nangarhar over the past three days, even though exact figures varied and could not be independently verified. 
 
&quot;There is no doubt that Daesh (IS) do not respect anyone,&quot; Kunduzi said, using a common term for Islamic State. &quot;They kill people, regardless of whether they&#39;re a child or a woman. They burn down madrasas, mosques and schools.&quot; 
 
As many as 25 homes had been burned down in Kowt district, and five civilians were reported kidnapped, Nangarhar officials said. 
 
Hundreds of police and soldiers are engaged in the area with reinforcements on the way, provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid said. 
 
At a small event today in Kabul, the head of Afghanistan&#39;s civil society federation, Sediq Ansari, blamed local leaders for being negligent in the face of Islamic State threats and called on them to be suspended. 
 
&quot;They should be accountable for every drop of blood that has been shed in Nangarhar so it becomes a lesson to other officials,&quot; he told gathered reporters. 
 
Militants linked to Islamic State have not made as much progress in Afghanistan as in Syria and Iraq, where the group seized major cities and wide swaths of territory and attracted thousands of recruits. 
 
In Afghanistan, the group is thought to consist mostly of disaffected members of other insurgent movements, including the Taliban, who have often battled Islamic State for control of areas in Nangarhar. 
 
In January, US President Barack Obama gave US forces in Afghanistan more freedom to attack Islamic State targets, leading to a spike in air strikes and other operations, especially in Nangarhar. 
 
No coalition forces have been involved in the latest fighting, spokesman Commander Ron Flesvig said. 
 
(Reuters)

According to local officials, more than 100 Islamic State fighters had been killed in fighting in Nangarhar over the past three days

Heavy fighting between Islamic State (IS) militants and government security forces has claimed dozens of lives in eastern Afghanistan, officials said today. In recent months insurgents claiming allegiance to Islamic State had largely appeared to be bottled up in a mountainous area along the border with Pakistan under threat of US air strikes. The latest attacks indicate the group remains a potent threat to a government already battling an insurgency dominated by the rival Taliban. At least a dozen Afghan security forces and civilians had been killed, with another 18 wounded, Nangarhar province governor Saleem Khan Kunduzi said in a statement. Local officials claimed more than 100 Islamic State fighters had been killed in fighting in Nangarhar over the past three days, even though exact figures varied and could not be independently verified. "There is no doubt that Daesh (IS) do not respect anyone," Kunduzi said, using a common term for Islamic State. "They kill people, regardless of whether they're a child or a woman. They burn down madrasas, mosques and schools." As many as 25 homes had been burned down in Kowt district, and five civilians were reported kidnapped, Nangarhar officials said. Hundreds of police and soldiers are engaged in the area with reinforcements on the way, provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid said. At a small event today in Kabul, the head of Afghanistan's civil society federation, Sediq Ansari, blamed local leaders for being negligent in the face of Islamic State threats and called on them to be suspended. "They should be accountable for every drop of blood that has been shed in Nangarhar so it becomes a lesson to other officials," he told gathered reporters. Militants linked to Islamic State have not made as much progress in Afghanistan as in Syria and Iraq, where the group seized major cities and wide swaths of territory and attracted thousands of recruits. In Afghanistan, the group is thought to consist mostly of disaffected members of other insurgent movements, including the Taliban, who have often battled Islamic State for control of areas in Nangarhar. In January, US President Barack Obama gave US forces in Afghanistan more freedom to attack Islamic State targets, leading to a spike in air strikes and other operations, especially in Nangarhar. No coalition forces have been involved in the latest fighting, spokesman Commander Ron Flesvig said. (Reuters)

Islamic State militants launch new attacks in eastern Afghanistan

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