Shi’ite paramilitaries are to deploy to Iraq’s western province of Anbar after ISIL militants reportedly overran the provincial capital Ramadi.<br /><br /> If confirmed it is the biggest defeat for the government in Baghdad for almost a year. <br /><br /> The apparent capture of Ramadi puts the militants just over a hundred kilometres from the Iraqi capital.<br /><br /> The city is dominated by Sunni Muslims so Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had been initially reluctant to deploy the Shi’ite militias for fears of a sectarian backlash.<br /><br /> Yousif al-Kilabi, a spokesman for the paramilitaries known as Hashid Shaabi, confirmed they have orders to mobilise:<br /><br /> “God willing, we will achieve this triumph and we will not accept anything less than that. We will be a real backbone for the security forces and an impregnable fortress for this country. We will support the legitimacy in Iraq represented in the government and parliament.”<br /><br /> Around 500 people have been killed in fighting in Ramadi in recent days, while some 6
