Thursday, June 12, 2014

Kurdish forces take Kirkuk as ISIS militants push towards Baghdad Kurdish forces have taken control of Iraq's northern oil city of Kirkuk as Sunni militants continue their offensive, seizing large chunks of neighboring territory. Kurds regard Kirkuk as their historical capital. Peshmerga fighters, the security forces of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, took control of Kirkuk after the federal army abandoned its bases there, a Kurdish military spokesman said. "The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of peshmerga," spokesman Jabbar Yawar said. "No Iraqi army remains in Kirkuk now." Iraqi Kurds have long wanted to incorporate Kirkuk province into their autonomous region, which they regard as their historical capital. The city lies at the heart of a bitter dispute with Baghdad, which strongly opposes the move. The takeover comes as fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) pushed toward Baghdad, continuing a three-day offensive in the country's Sunni heartland. Iraqi soldiers reportedly also fled their posts in the city of Mosul and several other towns and cities in the face of the ISIS offensive. Mosul, the second largest city in the country, was seized by militants early Tuesday. On Wednesday, the militants seized control of Tikrit, which lies 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of Baghdad. The splinter al Qaeda group has controlled the city of Fallujah for the past five months and has mounted raids in recent weeks in other parts of Iraq. It has also taken advantage of the civil war in neighboring Syria to gain a foothold there, where it is seen by some as the most capable of those forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad. The group is believed to be fighting to establish an Islamist emirate that would straddle Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, the Iraqi parliament failed to reach a two-thirds quorum to declare a state of emergency, which could have given Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki greater powers in tackling the growing insurgency. hc/slk (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa) DW.DE Militant fighters in Iraq push toward Baghdad as parliament is due to meet Militant fighters have pushed toward Iraq's capital Baghdad after capturing several towns and cities in a bold offensive. The Iraqi parliament is due to meet to consider imposing a state of emergency. (12.06.2014) Iraq needs reconciliation, not weapons, to defeat ISIS Washington has promised to support the Iraqi government in its drive to defeat rapidly advancing ISIS militants. But experts say that more US weapons are unlikely to stabilize the situation. (11.06.2014) Militants seize Iraqi city of Tikrit, prompt international concern Militants have overrun the Iraqi city of Tikrit, after seizing the northern city of Mosul. The mounting rebel offensive has also closed in on an oil refinery and triggered international concern. (11.06.2014) Militants seize control of Iraq's second-largest city Mosul Militants have seized Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul. Police and army forces abandoned their posts after insurgents overran the northern city, dealing a blow to the government's efforts to stop rebel advances. (10.06.2014) Iraq's prime minister asks for state of emergency after Mosul attack Iraq's prime minister has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency after insurgents effectively seized control of the city of Mosul. He said the government would arm civilians who volunteer to fight in the city. (10.06.2014)

Kurdish forces take Kirkuk as ISIS militants push towards Baghdad

Kurdish forces have taken control of Iraq's northern oil city of Kirkuk as Sunni militants continue their offensive, seizing large chunks of neighboring territory. Kurds regard Kirkuk as their historical capital.
Peshmerga fighters, the security forces of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, took control of Kirkuk after the federal army abandoned its bases there, a Kurdish military spokesman said.
"The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of peshmerga," spokesman Jabbar Yawar said. "No Iraqi army remains in Kirkuk now."
Iraqi Kurds have long wanted to incorporate Kirkuk province into their autonomous region, which they regard as their historical capital. The city lies at the heart of a bitter dispute with Baghdad, which strongly opposes the move.
The takeover comes as fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) pushed toward Baghdad, continuing a three-day offensive in the country's Sunni heartland.
Iraqi soldiers reportedly also fled their posts in the city of Mosul and several other towns and cities in the face of the ISIS offensive. Mosul, the second largest city in the country, was seized by militants early Tuesday. On Wednesday, the militants seized control of Tikrit, which lies 170 kilometers (105 miles) north of Baghdad.
The splinter al Qaeda group has controlled the city of Fallujah for the past five months and has mounted raids in recent weeks in other parts of Iraq. It has also taken advantage of the civil war in neighboring Syria to gain a foothold there, where it is seen by some as the most capable of those forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad. The group is believed to be fighting to establish an Islamist emirate that would straddle Syria and Iraq.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi parliament failed to reach a two-thirds quorum to declare a state of emergency, which could have given Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki greater powers in tackling the growing insurgency.
hc/slk (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)

DW.DE

Militant fighters in Iraq push toward Baghdad as parliament is due to meet

Militant fighters have pushed toward Iraq's capital Baghdad after capturing several towns and cities in a bold offensive. The Iraqi parliament is due to meet to consider imposing a state of emergency. (12.06.2014)

Iraq needs reconciliation, not weapons, to defeat ISIS

Washington has promised to support the Iraqi government in its drive to defeat rapidly advancing ISIS militants. But experts say that more US weapons are unlikely to stabilize the situation. (11.06.2014)

Militants seize Iraqi city of Tikrit, prompt international concern

Militants have overrun the Iraqi city of Tikrit, after seizing the northern city of Mosul. The mounting rebel offensive has also closed in on an oil refinery and triggered international concern. (11.06.2014) 

Militants seize control of Iraq's second-largest city Mosul

Militants have seized Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul. Police and army forces abandoned their posts after insurgents overran the northern city, dealing a blow to the government's efforts to stop rebel advances. (10.06.2014)

Iraq's prime minister asks for state of emergency after Mosul attack

Iraq's prime minister has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency after insurgents effectively seized control of the city of Mosul. He said the government would arm civilians who volunteer to fight in the city. (10.06.2014)

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