On outskirts of Baghdad, Islamic State’s advances raise tensions - The Washington Post

On outskirts of Baghdad, Islamic State’s advances raise tensions - The Washington Post: ABU GHRAIB, IRAQ — About 14 miles from Baghdad International Airport, a mortar shell landed with a thud. A second followed, closer, and then a third struck across the Iraqi army’s lines, as the Islamic State militants zeroed in on their target.

The volley of mortar fire outside the Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib this week was not unusual in itself; Islamic State fighters and the Iraqi army have regularly exchanged fire in this area for months. But now, officials worry that gains by the extremist group in neighboring Anbar province will provide momentum for an assault on the outskirts of the capital.

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