Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has declared a state of emergency after rebel fighters captured the city of Mosul.<br /><br />The police and army abandoned their posts on Tuesday after insurgents stormed government headquarters, prisons and television stations. There were reports that the group freed about 1,400 prisoners.<br /><br />Turkish media also reported that around 30 Turkish lorry drivers were taken hostage by the fighters.<br /><br />“The seriousness of the security situation needs immediate and swift measures to preserve the national security,” al-Maliki said.<br /><br />Mosul is Iraq’s second city, situated 200 miles north of Baghdad.<br /><br />The rebels are believed to be linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an al-Qaida splinter group. They have been behind most of the attacks in Iraq and are considered to be one of the most ruthless rebel groups in Syria.<br /><br />Iraqi state television channel, Iraqiya, reported that al-Maliki has asked the United Nations, European Union and Arab League to “support Iraq in its war on terror”.
