Iran-backed Iraqi force takes Islamic State villages on Syria border
An Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim force backed by Iran said it pushed Islamic State out of a group of villages on the border with Syria on Monday, potentially reopening a supply route to send Iranian weapons to President Bashar al-Assad.
The manoeuvre could also be the prelude to a connection with the Iranian-backed forces of Assad, although they are yet to reach the Iraqi border from the Syrian side.
