The first major assault by the jihadists near the capital in months may indicate that far from being cowed by prolonged air strikes and an economic blockade, they are seizing the initiative in trying to deflect an attack by Iraqi forces on Mosul

Special report: Key figures involved say Nouri al-Maliki's government brushed aside increasingly urgent calls for help in the run-up to the 'surprise' attack and reveal the frustration that detailed warnings were ignored

A twin suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed 70 people in a Shi’ite district of Baghdad on Sunday in the deadliest attack inside the capital this year, as militants launched an assault on its western outskirts.

Isis jihadists have killed at least 31 people in a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad.

Exclusive: During eight-day fact-finding mission the religious leaders will see the front line of the war on the terror group

With the jihadis able to bomb Baghdad and elsewhere with apparent impunity, Mohammed al-Ghabban tells Patrick Cockburn that it is a legacy of the country's bloated bureaucracy and chronic corruption