Iraqi troops closing in on Mosul; deaths at 80

• Iraqi troops closing in on Mosul; deaths at 80
  BARTELLA, Iraq -- The Iraqi army pushed into a town near the Islamic State-held city of Mosul on Saturday, a day after dozens of Islamic State militants stormed into the northern city of Kirkuk, setting off two days of clashes and killing at least 80 people, mostly security force members. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, meanwhile, met with Iraq's prime minister and commanders in Baghdad to discuss the offensive to retake Mosul, which the United States is supporting with airstrikes and advisers on the ground. The Iraqi army said the 9th Division has pushed into the town of Hamdaniyah, also known as Qaraqosh and Bakhdida, and raised the flag over its government compound, but the troops...
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