Maktoob: Saudi reopens Baghdad embassy after 25 years Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad Tuesday, a quarter of a century after relations were broken over Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, a foreign ministry official said. "The staff of the Saudi embassy arrived today in Baghdad," the official told AFP. A consulate is expected to open later in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. 8 years ago

Maktoob: 15 IS suicide car bombs targetting Iraq forces 'repelled' A wave of 15 suicide car bomb attacks by the Islamic State group (IS) against Iraqi security forces was repelled east of the flashpoint city of Ramadi Tuesday with limited casualties, officials said. The onslaught was the latest in a series of attacks by jihadists defending positions in Ramadi, which Iraqi forces, backed by US-led coalition air strikes, are trying to retake. Dulaimi said Iraqi forces controlled the area attacked but that two members of the Anbar police died defending it. 8 years ago

Maktoob: Iraq says Turkey must pull out all its troops after partial withdrawal Turkey must pull all its forces out of a camp in northern Iraq, a spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister said on Tuesday after Turkey withdrew some troops from the area. The deployment of around 150 Turkish troops to a camp near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this month has strained relations between Ankara and Baghdad, which protested to the United Nations. Turkey said on Monday that some of its troops had begun leaving, but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's spokesman said it was not enough. 8 years ago

Maktoob: U.S., allies stage eight air strikes in Iraq, six in Syria: U.S. military WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State militants with a fresh round of 14 air strikes in Syria and Iraq on Monday, the U.S. military said in a statement. In Iraq, eight air strikes near three cities hit three Islamic State tactical units, an improvised explosive device factory and various fighting positions, among other targets, according to the statement released on Tuesday. Six strikes near three Syrian cities hit three of the group's tactical units, a building and wounded three militant fighters, the statement said. ... 8 years ago

Maktoob: Iraq demands 'complete withdrawal' of Turkish forces The Iraqi government on Tuesday demanded the "complete withdrawal" of Turkish forces from its territory, indicating Ankara's partial pullout the previous day was not enough. Turkey deployed soldiers and tanks to a military camp in northern Iraq earlier this month, a move it said was necessary to protect trainers at the site but which Baghdad condemned as an illegal incursion. Turkish and Iraqi officials said Turkish forces and equipment were withdrawn from the camp early on Monday, but the trainers apparently remained, and Ankara has other military sites within northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. 8 years ago