Safa Abdul Hamid

The bolstering of armed forces in and around Baghdad is one of a number of measures introduced to protect the Iraqi capital from likely attacks by extremists.

Efforts to secure the Iraqi capital Baghdad is seeing manpower being moved away from the battles fronts in Anbar province, adversely affecting the fight against Islamic State in western Iraq.

The Islamic State group 'recaptures' the Baiji oil refinery in Iraq as a series of car bombings on Friday kills over ten people.

The Islamic State group has intensified its attacks in Anbar, as it attempts to push into the centre of the largest governorate in Iraq.

Hizballah is reportedly planning to send fighters to the battle of Mosul at Iran's request to placate Sunni leaders because it is an Arab force.

Islamic State extremist group is fortifying its positions in Mosul as Iraqi forces gear up for a battle to regain control of the northern city from the militants.

After recent victories against the Islamic State group, the Peshmerga is beginning to win the support of the international community. Baghdad's support remains missing, however.

A member of Parliament's Defence Committee said Iraqi forces required international assistance to reverse the Islamic State group's successes.

Riyadh and Baghdad are moving quickly to heal a decades-old diplomatic rift and begin cooperation on a number of issues.