Islamic State The Iraqi government is reported to be sending Iran-backed Shia militias to Ramadi to recapture the city seized by Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday. About 500 people are reported to have died when the Iraqi military abandoned positions in the city – only 70 miles (112km) west of Baghdad. A regional government official spoke of people fleeing Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, “in great numbers”. But the US has said it is confident the capture of Ramadi can be reversed. Speaking in South Korea, Secretary of State John Kerry said: “I am convinced that as the forces are redeployed and as the days flow in the weeks ahead that’s going to change.” The Shia militias, known as the Popular Mobilisation (Hashid Shaabi), were key to the recapture from IS of another city, Tikrit, north of Baghdad, two months ago. But their use has raised concern […]