Stranded Indian Nurses to Stay on in Tikrit as Isis Militants Promise Salaries and Dues

An abandoned Iraqi security forces vehicle is pictured on a road in Tikrit, which was overran by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)Reuters

The Isis militants, who took effective control of vast swathes of northern Iraq and are closing in on the capital Baghdad after running through the weak defence of a disintegrating army, are busy setting up parallel governance structures in the cities they now control.

The militants have apparently reassured the safety of dozens of nurses from India who were trapped in a hospital in Tirkit and offered to pay their overdue salaries.

Days earlier, as many as 46 nurses had sent a desperate plea to the government of India saying they were in danger and wanted to be evacuated.

However, they have changed their minds and agreed to stay on in Tikrit, the Times of India reported. Tikrit had witnessed the horrible massacre of hundreds of air force recruits by the militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis).

One of the nurses told the Times of India the fighters were courteous to them and offered to pay their salaries and dues. The militants, who took control of the Tikrit Teaching Hospital in the hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein, have asked them not to venture out of the hospital.

"For the moment we're safe in the hospital ... We hear gunfire but don't know what's going on," said Jency James, one of the nurses.

Though they had the basic necessities, the nurses said they still feared for their safety. "People from Red Cross bring us milk and water, which is a great relief," said Sona Joseph.

They also said Indian embassy officials were in touch with them but were not aware of the happenings outside, especially the kidnapping of 40 Indian construction workers in Mosul.

"The bombing has cut off our internet connections and we don't know how long our phones will work," one of them said.

Other reports too have confirmed the local administration has changed following the Isis militants' capture of Tikrit, but that the salaries of the hospital staff have been revised lower.

The IANS news agency said the nurses were now being offered a pay of just $200 a month compared with $750 per month given under the earlier contract.

Reports from Kerala state say the nurses who have agreed to stay back in Tikrit have few options. Most of them had taken huge loans to pay the recruitment agencies that hired them for overseas jobs.

"I have to pay back the loan. I don't know what I'm going to do ... It's like being caught in a death trap," said one of the nurses.

Iraq Isis Crisis: Pressure on Obama to Seek Maliki's Removal Before Military Action

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-MalikiReuters

With President Barack Obama yet to decide what course of action should be taken in Iraq, there is increasing pressure on the US administration to ask Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to step aside in return for military assistance in confronting the Sunni Islamist insurgents.

In a meeting at the White House, Obama updated senior lawmakers about his administration's efforts to respond to the lightning advance of militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis).

While Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the president said he did not intend to seek Congress's approval for military action in Iraq, the White House clarified Obama did not rule out the possibility of seeking a Congress vote on military involvement.

Iraq has formally requested the US to carry out air strikes on the militants who made further advances in Salahuddin and Diyala provinces and were closing in on the capital Baghdad, after launching an audacious campaign ten days ago with the capture of Mosul.

On Wednesday, General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, hinted that the US was in no rush to intervene militarily in Iraq. Speaking at a congressional hearing, Dempsey said it was necessary to address the chaos on the ground before considering air strikes on the militants.

Meanwhile, Republican Senator John McCain said the US must step in and carry out air strikes in Iraq, but added that the president should press for the removal of Maliki from office.

Obama should "make it very clear to Maliki that his time is up", McCain said.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel backed McCain's demand, though the administration has not openly called for the removal of Maliki, who was installed in power in 2006 with US blessing.

"This current government in Iraq has never fulfilled the commitments it made to bring a unity government together with the Sunnis, the Kurds and the Shia," Chuck said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Maliki was not a big success in governing "inclusively and that has contributed to the situation and the crisis that we have today in Iraq".

Maliki has been universally blamed for failing to heal the division between Shia and Sunni sects in the aftermath of the execution of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

The nearly six million Sunni people in Iraq feel they have been marginalised and treated like second-class citizens under the rule of Maliki's Shia-led government.

Though the US was instrumental in putting Maliki in power, he was recently seen as gravitating to fellow Shia rulers in neighbouring Iran, arch rival of the US.

Hong Leong Bank Criticised for Negative Portrayal of Filipino Domestic Workers in 'Racist' Ad

The ad in which a Chinese man is dressed up as a Filipino maid has been called racist.Hong Leong Bank

A commercial for Malaysia's Hong Leong Bank has been described as "racist" due to its negative depiction of Filipino domestic workers.

The commercial for an insurance product is aimed at the employers of Hong Kong's domestic helpers, most of whom come from the Philippines and Indonesia.

The ad shows a male Chinese actor wearing a curly, black wig and impersonating a Filipino maid who is seen clumsily performing household chores.

Organizations representing the 300,000 maids who work in Hong Kong have demanded an apology from the bank.

Eni Lestari, spokeswoman for the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body which aims to protect the rights of migrant and local domestic workers from exploitation said the bank should have hired someone from Indonesia or the Philippines to play the role of the maid.

"I think they should make a public apology. You are making comedy out of someone, out of a community. For (Hong Kong residents) it's funny, but what they don't realize is what's funny is actually racist."

The commercial has also sparked outrage on social media with members of the public demanding an apology for the offensive ad.

A Facebook user wrote: "If you want to make an ad regarding DH please make it right. I am domestic helper but I more look like a Chinese and most domestic helper are strong and not clumsy... aren't you tired for being a racist?"

Social media user Kahlil Stultz said: "You guys should really take down that ad and apologise for it... It's really not appropriate for a professional representation of your financial services."

The Malaysian bank has not commented on the commercial, not issued an apology. They have however removed from the link to the commercial.

The latest outrage in Hong Kong comes just weeks after a controversy over a school textbook, which encouraged children to distinguish their neighbours on racial grounds.

Fire Phone: Amazon Launches 3D Interface Smartphone

Amazon has launched its first smartphone, the Fire Phone, featuring six camera modules and a 3D interface

Amazon has unveiled its first ever smartphone, naming the much-anticipated 3D interface device the Fire Phone.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed the device at a hotly-anticiapted event in Seattle, with a heavy focus on multimedia. The phone is powered by a Quad-core 2.2GHz processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and features a 4.7in IPS LCD HD display.

The device also features Gorilla Glass 3 on both sides, a rubber frame and a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera.

Six cameras and unlimited data storage

One of the key selling points of the Fire Phone is unlimited photo storage on Amazon Cloud Drive through its "Prime Data" service.

The inclusion of six camera modules also sets the Fire Phone apart from other smartphones on the market.

The operating system is a heavily customised version of Android, similar to that used on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet.

Crowded market

Amazon is entering a highly competitive smartphone market, dominated by Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy range of handsets.

Industry experts believe that while the 3D functionality might appeal to Western consumers because of its innovation, the smartphone is more likely serve as a tool for Amazon to become a truly global online marketplace by improving and facilitating users' abilities to view and buy products online.

"While the device may not compete with the hardware giants of Apple and Samsung, it may serve its own purpose of promoting Amazon's online marketplace through better imagery to Western consumers," Marco Veremis, CEO of mobile monetisation firm Upstream, told IBTimes UK.

"However, in India, Nigeria, Brazil, Vietnam and China, only 21% of consumers currently spend or want to spend money with Amazon (according to a recent Upstream report). Therefore, Amazon needs to look to emerging markets if it wants to become a leading online marketplace."

The modest price is a strong indication of this strategy at work and fits in with what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said at the launch of the Kindle Fire in 2012.

"We want to make money when people use our devices, not when they buy our devices," Bezos said.

Developing...

Baiji Battle Rages in Iraq as Isis Thirst For Oil Spans Borders

A member from the oil police force stands guard at Zubair oilfield in Basra(Reuters)

Having seized Iraq's second city and rampaged south towards the capital Baghdad, Sunni extremists have now attacked Iraq's largest oil refinery in the city of Baiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad.

Led by the brazenly brutal Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), the militants lobbed mortar rounds and fired machine guns in an early morning raid. The battle raged well into the evening, with the outcome still undecided.

Refinery staff had clearly been expecting the attack. Insurgents had surrounded the facility for days and foreign staff were evacuated the evening before the raid.

The refinery is potentially an extremely valuable prize. It can process up to 300,000 barrels of crude per day, when operating at full capacity. Until recently, it was supplied by crude coming from the oilfields around Kirkuk, seized by Kurdish forces after national security forces fled.

The attack fits in with the calculated manner in which Isis goes about its business. The group has been active in eastern Syria, where it battles other rebel militias as well as Syrian regime loyalists.

While Isis became notorious for its viciousness in Syria (it was disowned by al-Qaeda for its extreme violence), the group is also notable for its financial savvy, especially when it comes to oil facilities.

Easily sold on the black market, where it is either smuggled over the border to Turkey or sold to the Syrian regime, oil in Syria has generated a vast revenue stream for the jihadi militants. It is a precious source of financing for the group.

Sources in Syria say the money has been used for myriad purposes; to purchase weapons, to pay fighters, to pay off local tribes and even to fund the state-building activities that Isis undertakes in its bid to win hearts and minds.

In rebel-held Syria, close to the oil producing hubs in Deir Ezzor province, entire oil markets have sprung up. Extraction is mostly improvised, but amounted to between 30,000 and 50,000 barrels per day in April, according to the Financial Times which cited an oil engineer at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A Carnegie Endowment report suggested Syria's oil producing regions were generating up to $50m per month.

Isis craves oil as it provides them with something more valuable than simple cash – it frees them to act autonomously from demanding state backers. The group has been listed as a terrorist organisation in the United States and the United Kingdom, meaning that its bank activities will be subject to intense scrutiny.

Iraq's largest oil refinery is an extremely valuable asset for both Isis and the Iraqi government, which is why the battle for Baiji will not be a walkover.

Iraq Formally Calls for US Airstrikes on Isis Militants

Members of the Iraqi security forces patrol an area near the borders between Karbala Province and Anbar Province(Reuters)

Iraq's foreign minister has said that Baghdad has formally called on the US to launch airstrikes on Sunni militants who have seized Mosul, Tikrit and other towns across the country.

"We have a request from the Iraqi government for air power," confirmed top US military commander Gen Martin Dempsey.

The development came as US officials said that President Barack Obama has shifted his focus away from air attacks as an option to curb the Isis-led insurgency.

Obama has ruled out returning combat personnel to Iraq but notified Congress that up to 275 armed US troops are being positioned in and around Iraq to provide support and security for US interests.

It is believed that the White House is considering drone-led or manned aircraft strikes on the militants as a possible way forward to repress the jihadists' advance. But officials have been unable so far to find clear targets in Iraq.

It is unclear whether the CIA and the NSA have been able to locate the leaders of the insurgency, such as Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Meanwhile the Iraqi military has claimed they repelled Isis' attack on the Baiji oil refinery. Iraq's chief military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, said 40 attackers were killed in fighting overnight.

Maliki had asked the US to launch an air strike against Isis for months but the White House always refused any involvement.

Iraq Oil Bosses to Form Volunteer Militias in Face of Isis Assault

Shia volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant(Reuters)

The bosses of oil refineries located to the south of Baghdad have been told to recruit and organise units of volunteer fighters to protect the facilities from encroaching Isis militants.

According to a report by the International Oil Daily, senior southern Iraqi oil executives were ordered to form units of volunteers to protect oil instillations against a possible attack from advancing Sunni insurgents.

The vast majority of Iraq's functioning oil infrastructure is located south of the capital Baghdad, which has so far been unaffected by the fighting in the north of the country.

Isis, which has led a coalition of Sunni militants on a bloody campaign across northern Iraq, has vowed to take the capital Baghdad. The Sunni coalition took Iraq's second city of Mosul after the Iraqi army and security forces fled.

Tikrit soon followed suit and the group has continued its advance southwards towards the capital. Reports emerged that the group had made gains after heavy fighting in Baquba, capital of Diyala province, on Wednesday.

Further north, Sunni militants were involved in fighting with the Iraqi army at the country's largest oil refinery in the town of Baiji.

Early reports suggested the militants had seized control of most of the facility, but the Iraqi army rejected these reports and said 40 insurgents had been killed at the refinery.

The Baiji refinery processes up to 300,000 barrels of oil per day and supplies Iraq's domestic needs, including the capital Baghdad.

Foreign workers were evacuated from the plant on Tuesday, while operations were shut down as security forces braced for an attack.

Meanwhile, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has addressed the nation in a televised speech, calling on volunteers to take up arms to halt the militants' surge.

"The country has suffered a setback, but not every setback is a defeat. It has allowed Iraq to recover national unity," he said on Wednesday. "The Iraqi people will not be defeated."

Southern Iraq's oil production has continued at normal levels throughout the crisis, with exports consistently around 2.8 million barrels per day.

Asia's Business Sentiment Spikes to Over Two-Year High

Asia business sentiment hovers at over two-year high.Reuters

Encouraging political changes in India and Thailand and upbeat signals from China have helped boost business sentiment among Asia's top firms to an over two-year high, according to a survey.

The ThomsonReuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Index has jumped to 74 in the second-quarter of 2014, from 64 in the first three months of the year.

The latest reading is the highest since the start of 2012. A reading above 50 indicates an overall positive outlook.

The survey was carried out in 11 countries between 2-13 June. Of the 124 companies that responded, 52.42% said they had a neutral outlook and 47.58% said they had a positive outlook in the second-quarter.

None reported a negative outlook, a first in the poll's history.

The poll identified global economic worries; rising costs; and political and regulatory uncertainty among other risks as key business concerns.

Thailand, India Trump China

A majority of all companies polled in Thailand reported a positive outlook.

Thai consumer confidence rebounded in May for the first time in over a year. The nation's military seized power from the government on 22 May, pledging to revive the kingdom's flagging economy.

Elsewhere, all 10 firms surveyed in India reported an upbeat outlook.

Asia's third-largest economy struck the maximum score of 100, in the wake of pro-business candidate Narendra Modi's decisive election victory on 16 May.

Meanwhile, China, Asia's largest economy, posted a score of 67, rebounding from a score of 50 in the first-quarter after Beijing's "mini-stimulus" package pledged to help China rebalance its economy and meet growth targets for the year.

Resources Gain, Financials Lose

Region-wide, resources was the strongest sector with a score of 80, a three-year high for the sector. The property sector followed, inching up to 79 from 75 in the first-quarter.

Shipping, food and building sectors tied for third place with scores of 75. In the building sector, 50% of all firms polled reported a positive outlook, helping drive a steep ascent from a reading of 50 in the first-quarter.

The weakest sectors were financials and retail. Financials dropped to 60 from 64 in the first-quarter, while rising costs dragged retail down to 69 from 75.

Autos logged a relatively weak score of 67, but was up sharply from 50 in the first-quarter.

"At the moment, stronger US growth, China providing some support to prevent collapse and the India story is still there. These are positives," said Anthony Chan, senior economist for Asia at asset management firm AllianceBernstein.

However, the sentiment boost may be short-lived -- India is due for a "reality check" after its election boost, China's stimulus will create only a short-term lift, and there is still plenty hanging "in the balance" for Thailand after the military coup there, Chan told Reuters.

Iraq Crisis: Isis Advance 'a Setback, not a Defeat', Says PM Maliki

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuuri al-MalikiReuters

Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has called for national unity in the face of the advance of Islamist-led Sunni militants.

Speaking of the swift breakthrough of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) and other Sunni allies in Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, Maliki expressed optimism that "Iraqi people will not be defeated".

"The country has suffered setback, but not every setback is a defeat. It has allowed Iraq to recover national unity," he said in a televised address.

Isis fighters have invaded Iraq's biggest oil refinery in Baiji and are now controlling 75% of the facility. A defiant Maliki also appealed to volunteers to take arms against the Sunni militants. "You will be the backbone of a new Iraq," he said.

However, Maliki's call for national unity is unlikely to have any effect as the Shia leader has been accused over the years of centralising power within his inner circle and disenfranchising Sunnis out of political power. His increased authoritarian rule has fuelled the Sunni insurgency, according to experts.

The latest development came as Saudi foreign minister Saud bin Faisal warned that Iraq faced the risk of civil war.

Hentai Anime Escapes First-Ever Child Pornography Ban in Japan

Japan is one of the last developed countries to ban possession of child pornographyGetty

Japan has banned possession of child pornography for the first time in its history.

Under the new law, anyone caught with sexual images of children faces up to one year in prison, or a £6,000 fine. However graphic cartoon pornography featuring child-like female characters – which is known as Hentai - is not covered by the new law.

Japan is the last member of the group of first-world countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to outlaw possession of child porn.

Anti-smut campaigners welcomed the law change to combat Japan's growing child sex problem. The amount of child pornography in Japan has increased ten-fold in a decade, based on police seizures.

Activist Shihoko Fujiwara told CNN: "Under the existing circumstances, the suffering and damage has become more critical. I really hope that the law rescues suffering child victims, as well as the victims damaged in the past by stopping the circulation of child porn.

"This is the epoch-making event for Japan."

The decision to exempt animation – known in Japan as Manga - containing adult content comes after heavy lobbying by the industry.

Hentai, which is the adult type of manga animation, invariably features innocent-looking female characters engaged in explicit sexual exploits with other humans, or fictional creatures.

The female protagonists in Hentai inevitably look child-like, which is a problem to some in Japan.

Dr Mio Bryce, of Macquarie University ,said "cuteness is a problem, because cuteness is something that makes you feel you have to protect the person, and there's a very fine line between 'I can protect the person' and 'I can control the person.

"If you're looking at it all the time, how are you actually seeing people? Is it just a fantasy, or maybe some people with a bit of a wrong mind think that is actually there, and that is the way to treat women. So there is a risk,"

But anime lobbyist Ken Akamatsu defended the right to create anime by pointing out nobody is hurt in the creation of it.

"Actual children suffering and crying is not acceptable," Akamatsu said. "But manga doesn't involve actual children. So there are no actual victims."

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Promises No Economic 'Hard Landing' Amid Strong Business Confidence

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Promises No Economy 'Hard Landing' Amid Strong Business ConfidenceReuters

China's Premier Li Keqiang has promised that the nation's economy will grow by 7.5% over the next year, therefore avoiding a 'hard landing,' amid business sentiment in the country rising for the second consecutive month.

Speaking at a press conference in London, Li said an abrupt slowdown will "not happen," and that "it would take until the middle of this century for China to become a fully modernised and industrialised economy."

A 'hard landing' occurs when an economy experiences rapid growth followed by a dramatic downturn, perhaps even a recession, after the government moves to halt inflation.

A 'soft landing' sees a high-growth country easing down steadily toward more normal levels of growth.

Li's comments reiterate his speech from 16 June.

"China's economy is slower than the past, but normal," said Li.

"Despite considerable downward pressure, China's economy is moving on a steady course. We will continue to make anticipatory and moderate adjustments when necessary. We are well prepared to defuse various risks. We are confident that this year's growth target will be met."

The World Bank, in its twice-yearly Global Economic Prospects report, has said that China's growth is expected to ease gradually from 7.6% in 2014 to 7.4% by 2016, reflecting continued rebalancing.

A Reuters poll in April pegged China's full-year economic growth at 7.3% for 2014, the weakest in 24 years.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron (L) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) hold a plenary session in Number 10 Downing Street in London June 17, 2014Reuters

The Chinese economy expanded at a pace of 7.4% in the first quarter of 2014, but that rate was the slowest in 18 months owing to weak domestic and international demand.

Business Confidence

Meanwhile, the MNI China Business Indicator revealed that business confidence continued to rise in June while expectations for the future hit a two and a half year high.

The index rose for the second consecutive month to 55.0 in June from 53.7 in May, the highest since December 2013, signalling that measures taken by the Chinese authorities to stem the decline in growth are having a positive impact on the economy.

"A raft of measures to try and support the economy have been put forward in recent months to counter the slowdown in growth," said Philip Uglow, chief economist of MNI Indicators.

"While most of the measures taken by the Chinese authorities in isolation appear relatively small, their combined impact could actually add up to something more substantial."

"Adding extra liquidity to the economy to stabilise growth and moderate the slowdown might not be such a bad thing as long as the government continues to tackle overcapacity, get on top of local government debt, and push the economy in a new direction."

Iraq Crisis: Isis Launch Twitter App to Recruit, Radicalise and Raise Funds

Social media savvy Islamic insurgents have developed a Twitter app to promote its message onlineIsis

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis), the radical islamic insurgent group that has pledged to seize control of Baghdad, has employed a sophisticated social media strategy to garner online support for its cause.

The Dawn of Glad Tidings, an official Isis Arabic-language Twitter app promoted by some of the organisation's leading figures, has been used to give updates about the group and spread its message through user accounts.

When the app is downloaded, Isis is able to post tweets automatically on behalf of all those who have signed up. The app has already been downloaded hundreds of times, according to J.M. Berger, editor of terrorism research site Intelwire.

The Iraqi government has previously blocked all social media networks - including Facebook, Google, Twitter and Youtube - in an effort to prevent Isis from organising and communicating.

In order to circumvent the ban, many Iraqis turned to the dark web and anonymous messaging services like the Whisper app and the ban does not seem to have had any impact on the militant's messages through social media.

When the insurgents overcame the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the Dawn of Glad Tidings app posted almost 40,000 tweets in a single day.

The Dawn of Glad Tidings app, developed by Isis, is currently available through the Google Play store

The Dawn of Glad Tidings app is available to download for Android devices through the Google Play store, with one user commenting on the site: "The Islamic State of Syria and Iraq forever. It is the hope of the Muslim community and it is the path to dignity and establishment of the caliphate."

Google is yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.

Other methods used by Isis to spread its message through social media have included organised Twitter hashtag campaigns, professionally produced promotional videos and a call for support through its "one billion campaign".

Through the "one billion campaign" the radical fundamentalists have sought support from Muslims around the world to join their cause and post videos to Youtube and pictures to Instagram with messages that "proudly support the Muslim cause".

A French-language video from the Isis "one billion campaign"

Iraq Crisis Latest: Isis Attacks Near Kirkuk Oil Fields while Kurdish Fighters Vow To Crush Jihadist Group

Displaced families from the city of Tikrit make their way to Kirkuk June 16, 2014. Iraq's Kurds have established control over the northern city of Kirkuk and its oil reserves and effectively achieved their "dream of a greater Kurdistan", the chairman of Iraq's oil and gas committee said on Tuesday.Reuters

Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) attacked the Kurdish town of Basheer on Tuesday (17 June), in an action that indicates a push by the jihadist group to gain ground in an oil-rich area just south of Kirkuk.

Kurdish soldiers promised to fight hard, and vowed they would beat the jihadists who routed the Iraqi army last week.

Officials from the Kurdish militia, the peshmerga, said at least three of their soldiers had died in the fight for Basheer, which began when Isis militants entered the town in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A top official at a peshmerga base in Daquq, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk about the situation, said dozens of his soldiers had left the base to fight Isis in Basheer just a few miles away.

'They were Shias, so Isis just came to kill all of them'

The attack on Basheer came just a day after three car bombs exploded in Kirkuk, a major city that Kurdish fighters occupied just last week. The two events indicate that Isis has not given up its efforts to gain ground in the north, despite its simultaneous success in making its way south toward Baghdad.

The attack on Basheer was the first time Isis had infiltrated a town in Iraqi Kurdistan since it entered the capital to fight the Iraqi army. The peshmerga staved off Isis advances over the past week, but the militant group is back now with a renewed vengeance.

"Basheer is mostly all Shia. So Isis just came to kill all of them," the official said of the Sunni group.

Armored personnel carriers filled with peshmerga soldiers raced down the main road leading south from Kirkuk to Basheer on Tuesday morning, followed by ambulances. Extra security officials surrounded the checkpoints leading from Kirkuk to Daquq, stopping cars randomly to inspect them.

The 600 peshmerga soldiers in Daquq took over the base last week from the Iraqi military. They are now using the armored vehicles and weapons left behind by the fleeing forces of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to fight Isis. These include heavy weaponry such as Katyusha rocket launchers, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns.

'Isis might be able to beat Maliki, but they can't beat us'

"For a long time we have wanted to take back this base. When we came here, we did not need to fight the military. They just left because they did not want to fight Isis. They would rather we did," the Kurdish official from Daquq said.

"Isis might be able to beat Maliki, but they can't beat us. Maliki's soldiers fight for money, not for their country."

Officials at the base said they rely on local villagers to the west to inform them of Isis movements in the area. This time, though, they received no warning of the Isis attack.

The official in Daquq said he sends soldiers every six hours to patrol the area, including villages between Tuz Khurma and the Tikrit "border" crossing. (The border being the front between Isis and Kurdish-controlled areas.) He said the men have also set up snipers at the line to watch for Isis intruders.

Yet the peshmerga said they fear Isis could infiltrate the area unexpectedly, taking advantage of local collaboration. Some Sunni families have taken up arms, the Kurdish fighters said, but it is not clear who has pledged allegiance to the militant group.

There are approximately 1,500 peshmerga soldiers in and around Kirkuk, militia members said. Most of them patrol the city and man the checkpoints; others, like those at the base in Daquq, are preparing to confront Isis on the front lines.

"We will defend this area until we die," a commander at the base in Kirkuk said Tuesday. "We have the soul needed to defend our land. I don't think Isis can beat us."