Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Tehran on Wednesday. Khamenei called on Baghdad to make “serious decisions” concerning Kurdistan and their independence referendum. Although Iran and Turkey have not had warm relations, the common threat of Kurdish rebellion in their own countries is having a unifying effect.
Although Iraqi forces needed nine months to defeat the Islamic State militants in Mosul, they say that without numerous informants in the city, the fighting would have taken much longer.
Ground troops have entered Hawija. The operation began in September but had focused on outlying areas. Security forces continue finding mass graves in the region.
At least 48 were killed and 22 were wounded:
Three people were killed when they returned to their booby-trapped home in Fallujah.
A car bomb in Husseiniya killed two people and wound four more.
In Baghdad, a bomb killed one person and wounded seven more in the Sabaa al-Bour district.
Clashes in Saqr left a tribal fighter dead and another wounded. Five militants were killed.
In Hawija, shelling killed a photographer working with the defense ministry. An airstrike left 13 militants dead. A militant bomb expert and two aides were killed while trying to plant a bomb.
Five children were wounded when a bomb exploded in Sinjar.
A clash left three tribal fighters with injuries in Muqdadiya.
In Mosul, a bomb wounded two municipal workers.
Near Baiji, 15 militants were killed.
Three militants were killed in Ramadi.
A suicide bomber was killed in Kawthar.
