US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said Iran-backed militias who have been fighting ISIS in Iraq should go home as the battle is nearing its end. Mr Tillerson said all foreign fighters should leave and let Iraqis rebuild. He apparently asked Iraqi Shias in these militias to eutger integrate into the Iraqi army or put down their weapons. The announcement came during the American top diplomat’s visit to Saudi Arabia yesterday, along with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has warned protesters across the region to avoid any violent actions while organizing gatherings in front of consulate offices. The Ministry of Interior said that demonstrations and public gatherings to voice people’s opinion is respected as long as they abide by the law but violent actions against diplomatic missions and their offices would not be tolerated.
Lastly, Russia has accused the US-led coalition of bombing the Syrian city of Raqqa “off the face of the earth” during the fight against the Islamic State. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took Raqqa last week and on Sunday said they had taken Syria’s largest oilfield. Pictures suggest much of Raqqa is in ruins, and Moscow compared it to the Allied destruction of the German city of Dresden in World War Two.
