Islamic State Captures Iraqi Military Training Camp

The Islamic State militants Monday captured a military training camp in Western Iraq, moving closer to establishing complete control of the Anbar Province in Western Iraq.

According to two Anbar officials, the militants seized the camp located near the town of Hit early morning, after fierce fighting with the Iraqi soldiers who were forced to abandon the camp and pullout from the area. The residents of the town confirmed the camp's fall and the Islamic State militants also announced its capture on websites frequently used by the group.

Meanwhile, bombings killed at least 30 people in Baghdad as Iraqi Shiites took to the streets to celebrate the festival of Eid al Ghadeer .

Another attack in eastern Habibiya district killed 15 people when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive filled car into a police checkpoint.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who is on a visit to Iraq, warned that airstrikes alone will not be sufficient to defeat the Islamic State militants and emphasized that Iraqi military have to do "heavy work on ground".

"The coalition can only deliver effective support to the Iraqi government and Iraqi security forces," said Britain's top diplomat during his visit to Baghdad. "The Iraqi people, the Iraqi security forces and Iraqi government will have to take the lead on the ground," Hammond said, reports the Associated Press.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that at around180, 000 people have been displaced in Anbar province as result of the fighting in Hit and Ramadi.

United Nations Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq pointed out that as per U.N. estimates, 75 percent of people from Hit, out of an original population of 300,000, has escaped from the town.

In a setback to U.S plans, Turkey has denied that it had agreed to allow the U.S. to use its Incirlik air base in the fight against Islamic State. Sources at the Turkish prime minister's office said that discussions were continuing on the subject, reports Reuters.

However, Turkey had reached an agreement with the U.S on training moderate Syrian rebels, the source said.