Military officials say that preparations for an assault on Hawija are complete. The operations apparently will include parts of Shirqat that are still under militant control.
Shi’ite cleric Qassim al-Tai issued a fatwa ordering Iraqis to fight Turkish troops illegally stationed in Iraq. Besides military intervention, he suggested boycotting Turkish products.
Islamic State militants launched mortars at Turkish troops stationed in Bashiqa, but no casualties were reported.
At least 75 people were killed and 21 more were wounded in recent violence:
Sources in Qaim say 11 children have been killed in order to supply militant hospitals with organs.
In Baghdad, a blast in Basmaya killed two people and wounded nine more. A bombing killed one and wounded six in Furat. Two people were killed and four were wounded by a bomb at a Rashidiya market.
One policeman was killed and two more were wounded while attempting to defuse a bomb in Fallujah.
In Mosul, militants killed three civilians, including the poet Qusay Samer. Three women were executed for having mobile phones.
Airstrikes killed 30 militants in Albu Ali Jassim.
A strike on Baaj left nine militants dead.
Nine militants were killed in Hit Island.
An airstrike on Hud killed four militants, one of them a leader.
