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Iraq crisis: Islamist militants warn battle will 'rage' after seizing Mosul and Tikrit Iraq crisis: Iraqi Kurds seize 'the whole of Kirkuk' after army flees attack by Islamist militants
(about 4 hours later)
Islamist militants who have overrun cities in Iraq have warned battle will “rage” as it planned to march on the capital Baghdad, just a day after 500,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Mosul, the country's second biggest city. Iraqi Kurdish forces have taken control of the northern oil city of Kirkuk on Thursday, after the army fled from an attack by Islamist militants nearby.
Peshmerga fighters, the security forces of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish north, stormed into bases in Kirkuk vacated by the army, a peshmerga spokesman said.
"The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of peshmerga," Jabbar Yawar told Reuters. "No Iraqi army remains in Kirkuk now."
Earlier, the Islamist militants who overran cities in Iraq warned battle will “rage” as it planned to march on the capital Baghdad, just a day after 500,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Mosul, the country's second biggest city.
Britain has deployed a humanitarian team in Iraq to assess the needs of civilians fleeing the violent takeover, the International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced today.
Iraq's parliament has postponed an emergency session to vote on declaring a state of emergency later today following Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's request.
Fighters from the al-Qa'ida splinter group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) seized Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit on Wednesday, as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by US forces.Fighters from the al-Qa'ida splinter group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) seized Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit on Wednesday, as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by US forces.
"The battle is not yet raging but it will," Mohammed al Adnani, the spokesperson for Isis was quoted as saying in a statement translated by intelligence officials, according to the US-based monitoring group SITE."The battle is not yet raging but it will," Mohammed al Adnani, the spokesperson for Isis was quoted as saying in a statement translated by intelligence officials, according to the US-based monitoring group SITE.
He also threatened that Isis fighters will take the southern cities of Karbala and Najaf.
The US has said it is “deeply concerned” about the continued aggression and is considering providing further assistance to Iraq in fighting the militants, but did not give further details on what this would entail.The US has said it is “deeply concerned” about the continued aggression and is considering providing further assistance to Iraq in fighting the militants, but did not give further details on what this would entail.
The militants gained entry to the Turkish consulate in Mosul and held 48 people captive, including diplomats, police, consulate employees and three children, according to an official in the office of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish officials believe the hostages are safe, he said on Wednesday.The militants gained entry to the Turkish consulate in Mosul and held 48 people captive, including diplomats, police, consulate employees and three children, according to an official in the office of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish officials believe the hostages are safe, he said on Wednesday.
It came as the UN Security Council said it deplored the attacks of Tikrit and Mosul "in the strongest terms" and demanded the immediate return of all hostages abducted from the Turkish consulate.It came as the UN Security Council said it deplored the attacks of Tikrit and Mosul "in the strongest terms" and demanded the immediate return of all hostages abducted from the Turkish consulate.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon echoed the council's condemnation, saying that "terrorism must not be allowed to succeed in undoing the path towards democracy in Iraq as determined by the will of the Iraqi people."The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon echoed the council's condemnation, saying that "terrorism must not be allowed to succeed in undoing the path towards democracy in Iraq as determined by the will of the Iraqi people."
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the loss of Mosul must bring the country's leaders together to deal with the "serious, mortal threat" facing Iraq.Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the loss of Mosul must bring the country's leaders together to deal with the "serious, mortal threat" facing Iraq.
"We can push back on the terrorists ... and there would be a closer cooperation between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government to work together and try to flush out these foreign fighters," he said on the sidelines of a diplomatic meeting in Athens. "We can push back on the terrorists ... and there would be a closer cooperation between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government to work together and try to flush out these foreign fighters," he said on the sidelines of a diplomatic meeting in Athens."
Iraq's parliament is expected to hold an emergency session to vote on declaring a state of emergency later today following Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's request.
The PM has pledged to keep fighting against the insurgents, and warned any soldiers who fled would be be punished.