DHAKA: Militants seized three villages in northern Iraq on Wednesday during clashes with security forces and residents that left 20 civilians dead.
A local official said, reports The Straits Times.
The official, Shallal Abdul Baban, named the villages as Albu Hassan, Birwajli and Bastamli, in Salaheddin province.
BDST: 1852 HRS, JUNE 18, 2014