Thousands Join Iraqi Army to Fight Off ISIL Terrorists: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iraq’s Army Spokesman Qasim Ata announced that thousands of Iraqi volunteers will join the country's armed forces to fight against a full-blown insurgency by armed members of the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Ata said those joining the military units will benefit from the same privileges the armed forces are granted.
Around 1.5 million Iraqis have volunteered to join battles against the militants of the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
According to the Iraqi officials, people were rushing to recruitment centers to sign up for the fight against the Takfiri militants.
The volunteers consist of people from all ages including retired army officers.
This came after senior religious and political leaders called on the Iraqi nation to take up arms and defend their country against militants.
In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, ISIL seized control of most parts of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq, its surrounding Nineveh province. ISIL militants have been in control of Fallujah city since December.
The terrorists’ attacks have reportedly forced more than half a million people in and around Mosul, the capital of Nineveh Province, to flee their homes.
The Takfiri (extremist) militants are said to have entered Iraq from neighboring Syria and Saudi Arabia to destabilize the Arab country.