U.S. Begins Training Recruits; 231 Killed Across Iraq

At least 231 people were killed and 13 more were wounded, as U.S. forces have begun to train their first group of fresh Iraqi recruits.

Just as Kurdish forces are redrawing the political map in the north, adding new territories to what they believe will be an expanded Kurdistan, Shi’ite militiamen have been doing the same in central Iraq, deliberately pushing Sunni residents from the homes and towns. In some cases, however, they also appear to be holding women and children imprisoned without trial; the fate of their husbands and fathers is unclear.

Militants blew up a bridge near Qayara in order to impede access to Mosul by security forces. They also blew up the Salah ad Din provincial council building in Tikrit.

Military reinforcements have finally arrived at the Ain al-Asad base came, where American advisors are stationed.

Nine mass graves containing Yazidi victims of the Islamic State militants have been found.

In Baghdad, a bomb killed one person and wounded five more in the Rashidiya neighborhood. Two people were wounded in a blast in Suleikh. Another bomb in Suleikh wounded an army lieutenant. Security forces killed a militant. A body was found. Another body was discovered.

A bomb in Tuz killed two civilians.

Ten fighters were killed during the last stages of the fight for Duluiya.

Shelling in Samarra wounded five pilgrims.

A clash in Yathrib left 13 fighters and six militants dead.

Security forces killed 100 militants in Falluja.

In Mosul, militants killed 86 foreign militants who were attempting to return home.

Security forces killed 10 militants near Habaniya.

Airstrikes left dozens of militants dead in Khalidiya.

Several militants were killed as Peshmerga forces retook two villages in the Makhmour area. It is part of a concentrated effort in the region.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.