Mosul, the second (possibly third after Basra) largest city in Iraq has fallen to the al-Qaeda affiliate/offshoot/rival ISIS.
Iraqi government forces have reportedly left the city and it is now under the control of ISIS.
The residents of Mosul are also reported to be fleeing the city, many of them to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
ISIS now controls large parts of Nineveh Province in Iraq (whose capital is Mosul), large parts of Al Anbar Province in Iraq (including Fallujah), much of Deir ez-Zor Governorate in Syria, almost all of ar-Raqqah Governorate in Syria, and much of southern and northwestern Al-Hasakah Governorate in Syria.
These areas under ISIS control on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border are predominately Sunni Arab and the local Arab tribes there have very strong historic ties to Arab tribes in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
ISIS is allegedly supported by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey with tacit Western approval.
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http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/...
http://www.theguardian.com/...
http://www.cbsnews.com/...
http://www.reuters.com/...
http://rudaw.net/...
A video and some photographs:
http://webtv.hurriyet.com.tr/...
http://fotoanaliz.hurriyet.com.tr/...