ISIS seizes Iraq town near US force base

Islamic State jihadists have captured the western Iraqi town of Al-Baghdadi, putting them within striking distance of an air base where American troops are training Iraqi forces, the US military said Friday, AFP report.

"We do assess that right now they have control of Al-Baghdadi," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told a news conference, adding IS took hold of the town "in the past several days."


Iraqi soldiers drive back the IS group's assault on the base on Friday which involved several suicide bombers, officials said.

A group of 20-25 IS fighters, most of them wearing Iraqi army uniforms, carried out the failed attack, which appeared designed to have been an initial wave of suicide bombings followed by gunmen storming in, Kirby said.

All of the militants were killed or died when detonating suicide bombs.

Kirby said that "at no time were US troops anywhere near the fighting," which was about two miles away from where the Americans were working at the sprawling complex.