Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, fighters in Iraq recaptured about one half of the town of Dhuluiya, one day after it was won by Iraqi forces, and attacked a neighbouring town just 70 km (45 miles) north of Baghdad, police officers and witnesses said on Sunday.
The radical Sunni militants have seized large chunks of territory in Iraq since the beginning of 2014, first in western Iraq and after June across the country’s north, imposing strict Islamic rule and forcing thousands to flee.
A stalemate exists in the country, with territory regularly switching hands between the Iraqi government and ISIS.
On Saturday, ISIS stormed a town in Iraq’s western Anbar province and seized the town of Kubaisa. The police said militants launched “well-organised assaults” on Saturday on Dhuluiya and took back control of a large part of the northern half of the town, which lies on the Tigris and is the base for the Sunni al-Jubouri tribe who are fighting ISIS.
The attacks forced Iraqi security forces to retreat to the southern part of Dhuluiya. At least two tribal fighters were killed, seven policemen were wounded and four police vehicles were destroyed, a police officer and a witness said.
ISIS militants also attacked the neighbouring Shia town of Balad late on Saturday. Balad’s inhabitants have joined the Jubouri tribe in battling the group — a rare case of a Sunni-Shia alliance against the jihadists. One police officer and witnesses said they believed the attack on Balad was meant to distract Shia volunteer fighters from helping in Dhuluiya.
Meanwhile, Kurdish fighters backed by US-led airstrikes battled ISIS jihadists for control of a key Syrian town Sunday and Turkey evacuated some border areas as mortar fire spilled over.
ISIS fighters seized part of a strategic hill overlooking the town of Kobane late on Saturday, a monitor said, but their progress was slowed by new strikes from the coalition of Washington and Arab allies.
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