Iraq forces fight militants as Maliki says army gains ground
Iraq’s army fought Sunni Muslim extremists for control of a northern town as it sought to repel an offensive that has raised concerns of a spiraling sectarian conflict. There were conflicting reports on the fate of the town of Tal Afar, where a combined force of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers declared victory against insurgents in […]Nayla Razzouk and Glen Carey write for Bloomberg news:
Iraq’s army fought Sunni Muslim extremists for control of a northern town as it sought to repel an offensive that has raised concerns of a spiraling sectarian conflict.
There were conflicting reports on the fate of the town of Tal Afar, where a combined force of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers declared victory against insurgents in 2005. Gunmen from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, an al-Qaeda offshoot, captured most of the town, said Jabar Yawar, a spokesman for Kurdish forces positioned nearby. The military said it was nearing victory there, according to state-sponsored Iraqiya TV.
