The United States, he said, remains “steadfast in its commitment to work with Iraqi Prime Minister [Haider] al-Abadi and our partners in Iraq to bring an end to ISIL’s depravity”. The assault involves a large-scale deployment of government-allied Shiite militias against a heavily defended militant stronghold and urban center, and Iraqi officials predicted a hard fight ahead.
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It also blames them for the November shooting and killing of eight worshippers in the eastern Saudi Arabian village of al-Ahsa.
The Islamic State has conducted its deadliest bombing yet, killing at least 130 people in a Friday night bombing at a crowded market place in Iraq. The town is predominantly Shiite but has Sunni minority.
On Saturday, the Iraqi military said its troops retook full control of a major university from Islamic State in the volatile western province of Anbar. The self-declared Islamic State reportedly has claimed responsibility. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to talk to journalists.
A statement from the group said one of its members drove three tonnes of explosives into a crowd.
Joint, on-site investigations by two U.K.-based organizations – Conflict Armament Research (CAR) and Sahan Research – concluded that IS forces used chemical agents to attack Iraqi peshmerga forces and Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) on June 21, 22 and 28.
The abrupt government defeat in Ramadi in May forced the White House to reassess its strategy for pushing Islamic State back, and President Obama has offered only guarded assessments of the seesawing progress. That has prompted critics of the administration’s limited presence in Iraq to push for more USA forces in Iraq, including teams that could accompany Iraqi combat forces to help call in more precise airstrikes against the militants. Twelve YPG personnel were hospitalized.
Residents of the area can not believe this happened again.
The findings on the attacks in Syria were confirmed by an YPG statement issued Saturday.
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Cloud reported from Baghdad and Hennigan from Washington.
