US, Australia call back embassy staff

Baghdad: Western embassies began evacuating staff from Baghdad on Monday despite Iraq’s claim that it is repelling militants who have captured vast amounts of territory in a lightning offensive that has shaken regional stability.

The diplomatic evacuation, confirmed thus far by the United States and Australia, was coupled with the announcement from Washington that the country’s sprawling embassy — which sits in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone — would be given even more security.

It was unclear how many American embassy staff would be evacuated from the mission, but State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said they would be “temporarily relocated” to US consulates in the southern port city of Basra, and the northern Kurdish regional capital of Arbil, both of which have been insulated from the recent unrest. Iraq said on Sunday that security forces had killed 279 militants, and said Iraqi army soldiers had recaptured two towns north of Baghdad.