Photos: Conflict in Iraq

Nation & World News

Sunni-backed militants are pushing deeper into Iraq as hundreds of thousands of refugees try to escape the chaos. So far, Mousul has fallen to the radical Islamists from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the group is pushing towards Baghdad.

Iraqi army armored vehicles are seen burned on a street of the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that captured two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. Fighters from ISIL on Wednesday took Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by U.S. forces. (AP Photo)

FILE - In this Thursday, April 29, 2009 file photo, an Iraqi woman passes U.S. troops and Iraqi police officers as they stand guard in the Bab al-Jadeed area of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, during a push through the west side of the northern Iraqi city, considered to be the last urban stronghold for al-Qaida in the country. he former top U.S. commander in northern Iraq defended the multibillion dollar American effort to train Iraqi security forces despite this week's Sunni insurgent offensive that has seen key cities occupied as soldiers and police abandoned their posts. Mark Hertling, a retired general who led American forces in the volatile region in 2007-2008 as they fought to end sectarian warfare that pushed the country to the brink of civil war, said Thursday, June 12, 2014 that neglect by the Shiite-led government left Iraq in a precarious position and "squandered" the opportunity for real progress. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

FILE - In this March 14, 2009 file photo, Iraqi National police Col. Moslet Ahmed Attiya paints over graffiti promoting the Islamic Army in Iraq during a joint search operation with U.S. troops in southwestern Mosul, Iraq, during a push in the Sunni-dominated city of about 2 million to deny safe haven for insurgents and restore basic services. The Arabic words on the wall read "Islamic Army in Iraq." he former top U.S. commander in northern Iraq defended the multibillion dollar American effort to train Iraqi security forces despite this week's Sunni insurgent offensive that has seen key cities occupied as soldiers and police abandoned their posts. Mark Hertling, a retired general who led American forces in the volatile region in 2007-2008 as they fought to end sectarian warfare that pushed the country to the brink of civil war, said Thursday, June 12, 2014 that neglect by the Shiite-led government left Iraq in a precarious position and "squandered" the opportunity for real progress. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

Iraqi men line up to be searched outside of the main army recruiting center to volunteer for military service in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, June. 12, 2014, after authorities urged Iraqis to help battle insurgents. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led the charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

An Iraqi police vehicle is seen burned on a street of the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that captured two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Wednesday took Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by U.S. forces. (AP Photo)

Iraqi men chant slogans against the al-Qaida breakaway group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), outside of the main army recruiting center to volunteer for military service in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, June. 12, 2014, after authorities urged Iraqis to help battle insurgents. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led the charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

FILE - In this May 2, 2007 file photo, an Iraqi soldier walks past graffiti of a skull and crossbones left behind by U.S. troops in the city of in Mosul, Iraq 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad. he former top U.S. commander in northern Iraq defended the multibillion dollar American effort to train Iraqi security forces despite this week's Sunni insurgent offensive that has seen key cities occupied as soldiers and police abandoned their posts. Mark Hertling, a retired general who led American forces in the volatile region in 2007-2008 as they fought to end sectarian warfare that pushed the country to the brink of civil war, said Thursday, June 12, 2014 that neglect by the Shiite-led government left Iraq in a precarious position and "squandered" the opportunity for real progress. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

This still image from black and white gun camera video made by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, shows what the ministry says are airstrikes on fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in an area near Mosul in Nineveh province, Iraq. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led this week's charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq vowed Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following lightning gains. (AP Photo/Iraqi Ministry of Defense)

An Iraqi soldier flashes a V for victory sign while Iraqi men gather outside of the main army recruiting center to volunteer for military service in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, June. 12, 2014, after authorities urged Iraqis to help battle insurgents. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led the charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

Vehicles are seen burned on a street of the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led the charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week has vowed to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government�s ability to slow the assault following lightening gains. Fighters from ISIL on Wednesday took Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by U.S. forces. (AP Photo)

Kurdish security forces deploy outside of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that captured two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. Kurdish security forces took over an air base and other posts abandoned by the Iraqi military in ethnically mixed Kirkuk, a senior official with the Kurdish forces said, but he denied they they had taken over the northern flashpoint city. (AP Photo/ Emad Matti)

Burned Iraqi army armored vehicles are seen left on a street of the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that captured two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. (AP Photo)

Iraqi Shiite tribal leaders chant slogans against the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, June. 13, 2014. The tribal leaders met in Sadr city on Friday and declared their readiness along with their tribesmen to take up arms against the al-Qaida inspired group that had in Iraq�s made advance Sunni heartland.(AP Photo/ Karim Kadim)

In this still image from video taken by militants, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, hundreds of purported detained soldiers in plainclothes holding hands behind their heads walk on a street from camp Speicher, a former U.S. military base near Tikrit in Salah al-Din province, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led this week's charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq vowed Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following lightning gains. (AP Photo/Militant video)

An Iraqi man shops for food at a market in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, June 13, 2014. Iraqi officials say al-Qaida-inspired militants who this week seized much of the country's Sunni heartland have pushed into an ethnically mixed province northeast of Baghdad, capturing two towns there. The sign at the shop reads, "we have bread for diabetics," in Arabic.(AP Photo)

A municipality bulldozer and people clean up trash from a street in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, June 13, 2014. Iraqi officials say al-Qaida-inspired militants who this week seized much of the country's Sunni heartland have pushed into an ethnically mixed province northeast of Baghdad, capturing two towns there.(AP Photo)

A municipality bulldozer and people clean a street in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, June 13, 2014. Iraqi officials say al-Qaida-inspired militants who this week seized much of the country's Sunni heartland have pushed into an ethnically mixed province northeast of Baghdad, capturing two towns there.(AP Photo)

People shop for food and other supplies in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Friday, June 13, 2014. Iraqi officials say al-Qaida-inspired militants who this week seized much of the country's Sunni heartland have pushed into an ethnically mixed province northeast of Baghdad, capturing two towns there.(AP Photo)

In this still image posted on a militant Twitter account on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, militants parade down a main road in Mosul, Iraq. Iraqi officials say al-Qaida-inspired militants who this week seized much of the country's Sunni heartland have pushed into an ethnically mixed province northeast of Baghdad, capturing two towns there.(AP Photo/militant source via Twitter)

This still image from video taken by militants on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows tanks parked at a military compound abandoned by the Iraqi military near Tikrit in Salah al-Din province, Iraq. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led this week's charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq vowed Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following lightning gains. (AP Photo/Militant video)

In this still image from video taken by militants on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a militant standing on top of a tank holds a gun aloft at a military compound abandoned by the Iraqi military near Tikrit in Salah al-Din province, Iraq. The al-Qaida-inspired group that led this week's charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq vowed Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following lightning gains. (AP Photo/Militant video)

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Iraqi army armored vehicles are seen burned on a street of the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, Thursday, June 12, 2014. The al-Qaida-inspired group that captured two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. Fighters from ISIL on Wednesday took Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by U.S. forces. (AP Photo)

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