Iraq’s Sadr Vows to Shake Ground against ISIL Terrorists

Sadr, whose movement long battled US occupation forces in Iraq, also voiced opposition Wednesday to American military advisers meeting with Iraqi commanders, AFP reported.

"We will shake the ground under the feet of ignorance and extremism," Sadr said in a televised speech from the holy city of Najaf.

He added that he was only in favour of "providing international support from non-occupying states for the army of Iraq".

In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, the ISIL seized control of most parts of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq and its surrounding Nineveh province.

The terrorists’ attacks have reportedly forced more than half a million people in Nineveh Province to flee their homes.

Following Iraqi top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s religious decree (Fatwa) which called on Iraqis to take up arms against terrorists, nearly 1.5 million Iraqis have volunteered to join battles against the al-Qaeda-linked militants. The volunteers consist of people from all walks of life including retired officers.