Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacked and took control of parts of Baquoba, Iraq before being repelled by Iraqi security forces Tuesday, according to AFP.
ISIL advanced on the city, just 60 kilometers north of Baghdad, in an overnight attack. This is the closest the fighting has come to Iraq’s capital since ISIL began taking over Iraqi towns and cities last week.
Iraqi security forces initially fared poorly against the jihadist militants, fleeing their posts and dropping their weapons, but have since pulled themselves together and have fought off ISIL militants in a number of areas, reports AFP.
ISIL recently took over the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Tikrit, and now have their sights set on capturing Baghdad.
The U.S. began deploying troops to the region Tuesday and is currently considering possible air strikes.
