MESOP TOP OF THE AGENDA – Iraq Halts Tikrit Offensive / RELEVANT SOURCES
Iraqi and militia forces leading an offensive in Tikrit against the self-declared Islamic State have put their operations on hold (AP), allowing civilians to flee the embattled city, according to Iraq’s interior minister. While Iraqi forces have gained control in the northern, southern, and western outskirts, officials are calling for coalition air power (Al Jazeera) to oust remaining militant forces sheltered in Saddam Hussein’s former palace complex. Meanwhile, Kurdish forces are investigating possible chemical weapons attacks by the Islamic State. Separately, air strikes killed (Al Arabiya) more than fifty Islamic State militants in Anbar province, according to Iraqi security sources, and militants loyal to the Islamic State in Libya claimed responsibility (Reuters) for an attack on a checkpoint in the capital.