Islamic State pushed back in Iraq

Kurdish Peshmerga troops in northern Iraq say that they have recaptured the town of Zumar from the Islamic State (IS) after two months of failed attempts.  Peshmerga lieutenant general Jabbar Yawar told the BBC that recapturing Zumar was a significant development that would “facilitate Peshmerga plans to liberate Sinjar”.  

Sinjar lies 50km to the south-west of Zubar and was captured by the IS in August, forcing thousands of residents, mainly Yazidis, to flee.  

Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani said that recaputing Sinjar “will be tough, but not impossible”.

Iraqi security forces also reportedly ejected Islamic State from the town of Jurf al-Sakhar near the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a key town in the battle to secure a route for Shia pilgrims taking part in the festival of Ashura. Control of the town would also give Iraqi security forces a springboard to attack IS in the neighbouring Anbar province.   

"We have managed to push out Islamic State terrorists from the town of Jurf al-Sakhar today and now we are raising the Iraqi flag over the government offices," provincial governor Sadiq Madloul told Reuters news agency.

Further south, Iraqi security forces are reported to have ejected IS from Jurf al-Sakhar near Baghdad, in a battle to secure a Shia pilgrim route.

Meanwhile, US Central Command said that 22 US-led air strikes were carried out against IS in Iraq on Friday and Saturday. The air strikes targeted IS troops, buildings, positions and vehicles in the Mosul dam area and other locations such as Falluja and Baiji. One strike destroyed an IS artillery weapon near Kobane, the Syrian town on the border with Turkey that IS had recently laid siege to.

In Tripoli, Lebanon, six soldiers were killed in clashes with Sunni militants thought to be linked to IS.