Iraqi Troops 'Withdraw' In Face Of ISIS Offensive

Islamist militants have captured four towns in western Iraq, according to Sky sources.

Haditha, Anah, Rawa, Rotba - along with a number of villages- were taken as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) swept east from the Syrian border, where it captured a border crossing on Saturday, in its latest offensive.

The group was also reported to have seized two more border crossings - the Turaibil crossing with Jordan and the al-Walid crossing with Syria. 

Speaking from Baghdad, Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said: "This offensive coming from the west is very significant as it appears the Iraqi army has folded-up without a fight.

Potential recruits are given a medical check in Baghdad

"These are major strategic prizes, not necessarily big towns but all of them on the main route to Syria and on the Euphrates river.

"The big prize appears to be Haditha. There are conflicting reports whether it has fallen, but its collapse looks imminent.

"It contains a very important power-generating plant for Baghdad. If you combine that with the shut down of supply from the main oil refinery and power stations in Baiji, you can see the ISIS have a tactic of putting the squeeze on power supplies to Baghdad.

"That will further weaken the extremely fragile position of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki who is getting criticism from all sides and seems incapable of mustering any spirit in his army or making any political concessions that could shore up support among his critics."

Some two million volunteers have enlisted to fight against the ISIS

Dozens of Iraqi tanks, armoured vehicles and special forces troops were being sent to Haditha in an attempt to regain control and protect a dam across the Euphrates, according to Sky sources.

Lieutenant General Qassem Atta of the Iraqi army said the government's forces had made a "tactical" withdrawal from three of the towns in Anbar province.

"The military units' withdrawal was for the purpose of redeployment," he said.

ISIS had already taken control of the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in predominantly Sunni Anbar province before it seized Iraq's second city Mosul, and Baiji, home to the country's largest oil refinery, in an aggressive offensive in the north.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in the region for talks aimed at healing some of the differences between Iraq's leaders and ending the crisis.

In Cairo, he said: "This is a critical moment when we must urge Iraq's leaders to rise above sectarian considerations ... and speak to all people."

Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith has said the UK could provide logistical support if the US were to begin its own bombing raids.

"The Government has said it's not going to be doing any airstrikes or putting soldiers into Iraq but I think there are lots of other things we can do to help support them," he said.

He suggested Britain could "make sure they get the right spare parts and support in maintaining those kind of aircraft and equipment and also support the Americans where they need it in terms of supply, et cetera."

Meanwhile, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned that any country funding or arming the ISIS could become the group's next target.

Although Rouhani did not specifically name particular countries, officials in Iran have suggested Saudi Arabia and Qatar could be channelling funding to the group.

Young Iraqis have been flocking to recruitment centres at the weekend to join the counter-offensive against the ISIS. According to official records, some two million young men have volunteered in the past seven days.

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