Iraqi government loses control of major cities

Iraqi government loses control of major cities
Iraqi government loses control of major cities

Iraqi government loses control of major cities

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The Iraqi cities of Ramadi and Fallujah have been taken over by militants, many of whom are members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an Al Qaeda-affiliated group which is also fighting in Syria. Iraqi security forces have been battling the group for days and the Iraqi prime minister has urged residents of both cities to stand up against the militants, although many have fled the fighting. Iraqi-American Laith Saud, a visiting professor at DePaul University’s Religious Studies Department explains why sectarian violence is on the rise in Iraq. (Associated Press photo: In this Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 picture, gunmen patrol during clashes with Iraqi security forces in Fallujah, Iraq.)