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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Iraq conflict: Militants 'seize' city of Tal Afar | Iraq conflict: Militants 'seize' city of Tal Afar |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Sunni militants have seized the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, officials and residents say. | Sunni militants have seized the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, officials and residents say. |
| Militants led by ISIS - the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - captured key cities including Mosul and Tikrit last week, but some towns were retaken. | Militants led by ISIS - the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - captured key cities including Mosul and Tikrit last week, but some towns were retaken. |
| UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos said there were reports of "major human rights violations", including summary executions of civilians. | UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos said there were reports of "major human rights violations", including summary executions of civilians. |
| The US says it may use drone strikes to halt the militants' advance. | The US says it may use drone strikes to halt the militants' advance. |
| "They're not the whole answer, but they may well be one of the options that are important," said US Secretary of State John Kerry. | "They're not the whole answer, but they may well be one of the options that are important," said US Secretary of State John Kerry. |
| "When you have people murdering, you have to stop that. And you do what you need to do if you need to try to stop it from the air or otherwise." | "When you have people murdering, you have to stop that. And you do what you need to do if you need to try to stop it from the air or otherwise." |
| Mr Kerry added that his country was also open to holding direct talks with Iran over Iraq. | Mr Kerry added that his country was also open to holding direct talks with Iran over Iraq. |
| Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier said he would consider co-operation if the US took action. | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier said he would consider co-operation if the US took action. |
| The USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier is already being deployed to the Gulf, accompanied by two more warships. But Washington says no US troops will be deployed on the ground. | The USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier is already being deployed to the Gulf, accompanied by two more warships. But Washington says no US troops will be deployed on the ground. |
| Mixed city | Mixed city |
| Fighting in Tal Afar began on Sunday, with mortar shelling of some districts as militants tried to enter the city. | Fighting in Tal Afar began on Sunday, with mortar shelling of some districts as militants tried to enter the city. |
| Tal Afar, which has a mixed Sunni and Shia population, some ethnic Turkmen, lies between Mosul and the border with Syria. | Tal Afar, which has a mixed Sunni and Shia population, some ethnic Turkmen, lies between Mosul and the border with Syria. |
| A resident reached by phone told the Associated Press news agency that militants in pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns and flying black jihadi banners were roaming the streets as gunfire rang out. | |
| "Residents are gripped by fear and most of them have already left the town to areas held by Kurdish security forces," said Hadeer al-Abadi, as he prepared to head out of town with his family. | "Residents are gripped by fear and most of them have already left the town to areas held by Kurdish security forces," said Hadeer al-Abadi, as he prepared to head out of town with his family. |
| But the government insists it still largely controls the town and that ISIS fighters would be swiftly dealt with, says the BBC's Jim Muir in northern Iraq. | |
| The government also announced it had "regained the initiative" against an offensive by Sunni rebels. | |
| The defence ministry released footage on Monday which it said was of air strikes on ISIS targets north of Baghdad, including Mosul and Samarra provinces. | |
| Earlier, Iraqi army spokesman Lt Gen Qasim Ata said the military had scored successes against the militants in several areas, killing 279 of them. The figure could not be independently verified. | Earlier, Iraqi army spokesman Lt Gen Qasim Ata said the military had scored successes against the militants in several areas, killing 279 of them. The figure could not be independently verified. |
| Government forces were also reported to be building up in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, ready for a counter-offensive on Tikrit. | Government forces were also reported to be building up in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, ready for a counter-offensive on Tikrit. |
| ISIS in Iraq | |
| Iraq 'Massacre' photos: What we know | |
| 'Horrifying' | 'Horrifying' |
| Meanwhile, Baroness Amos said the UN was looking into the authenticity of photos posted online by Sunni militants that appear to show fighters massacring Iraqi soldiers. | Meanwhile, Baroness Amos said the UN was looking into the authenticity of photos posted online by Sunni militants that appear to show fighters massacring Iraqi soldiers. |
| "Because of the ongoing fighting it has made it difficult for us to get around and know exactly what is going on," she said at a press briefing in Geneva. | "Because of the ongoing fighting it has made it difficult for us to get around and know exactly what is going on," she said at a press briefing in Geneva. |
| In the scenes, the soldiers are seen being led away and lying in trenches before and after their "execution" in Salahuddin province. | |
| Footage has also emerged purporting to show ISIS fighters taunting captured troops with threats of decapitation. | |
| The Iraqi military earlier said the pictures were real, but their authenticity has not been independently confirmed. | |
| The US condemned them as "horrifying". | |
| If the photographs are genuine, this would be by far the biggest single atrocity since the time of the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. | If the photographs are genuine, this would be by far the biggest single atrocity since the time of the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. |
| The US has begun evacuating some diplomatic staff from Baghdad, moving them to Kurdish-controlled territory in the north-east and to Basra in the south. | |