the mixed population of kurds, arabs, peshmerga are well received. >> people pray for the peshmerga to stay here. if they were not here, our situation would be as bad as in the south. 250,000 well-trained and motivated troops, the peshmerga is a solid buffer against the chaos. the jihad is concentrating forces against the iraqi army. have beenhmerga killed in action since the beginning of isis'invasion. millions of people trapped could soon get humanitarian aid. that is only as a new plan from the u.n. goes through. three months ago, the un security council achieved a rare, unanimous approval of a resolution providing safe and easy access into syria. with no inroads so far. russia says the syrian regime has agreed to "drill border crossings from iraq, jordan, and turkey. here's russia's ambassador to the u.n. >> we have produced a formula that i hope will be accepted by our western colleagues. it is a far-reaching formula that will allow for crossing in which the humanitarian agencies were interested. i would like to see the resolution adopted. >> a key suspect in the attack on the u.s

the peshmerga is controlling the code. because in the other side there's no other groups but of course the peshmerga which thirty four years one of the most dangerous cities in iraq sure cook has become a refuge in kurdish hands hundreds of cars lined the road leading to the city as desperate iraqis for the for their lives. the city is home to a mix of arabs kurds chirk ben and christians all lay claim to this land a year ago i couldn't really walk around here without the help of an armed escort it was just too dangerous there are suicide bombings frequent clashes between rival groups like controlling care coolpix the kurds hope to prove that they can do a better job than the central government maybe safer so far but what neighbors like isis it's unclear for how long. it didn't take long that evening we witnessed care cooke's temporary or spike from violence shattered a suicide bomber tried to enter a market in a kurdish part of town at least six people killed dozens wounded kurds may seem as though when there's this. some

the peshmerga is controlling their. own because groups in the other side on the other groups but of course the peshmerga was thirty a year ago i couldn't really walk around here without the help of an armed escort it was just too dangerous there are suicide bombings frequent clashes between rival groups by controlling care coolpix the kurds hope to prove that they can do a better job than the central government maybe safer so far but what neighbors like isis it's unclear for how long. it didn't take long that evening we witnessed care cooks temporary or a spike from violence shattered a suicide bomber tried to enter a market in a kurdish part of town at least six people killed dozens wounded the kurds may seem i was there when there's this. some of them are living the euphoria could turn three. more ten it's people. leaves more problems if it wasn't time to. already divisions are emerging and minority arab and turkmen residents are worried about their rights in the new kirkuk kurdish authorities promised a referendum bu

catching the kurdish peshmerga unit off guard. it won't happen again. peshmerga commander watched isis appear just an hour after the iraqi army withdrew, casually staking their claim without firing a single shot. "that used to be with the army," he points out a two-story building. that's the isis flag right there? another planted on the water tower. the battle lines drawn, but for over a week, not crossed. then came the isis assault. they came at us from three directions, this colonel tells us. the battle lasted for six hours. in the distance, an iraqi military vehicle commandeered by isis. the intersection at this combat outpost is protecting is incredibly strategic. saddam hussein's hometown of tikrit in that direction. to the north, the oil rich city of kir kirkuk. and then a straight shot to the capital. there were people with them, people from the area, the colonel remembers. it was isis fighters and also people from the tribes. it's a murky dangerous alliance. opening multiple fronts towards baghdad and testing the peshmerga's resolve in the north

what we hear is in dhuluiya there have been clashes between rebels and kurdish, peshmerga forces. there was a friendly fire incident when iraqi helicopter, gunships, accidentally fired on kurdish peshmerga force, killing six. what we are hearing is 70km north of baghdad, camp ashraf, near vacouver had two shells fire on the camp, killing six. sunni rebels trying to maintain and mound their offensive. what we are hearing in mosul is there's anger at the statement that i.s.i.l. fighters, ym , saying that -- islamic state of iraq and levant, saying that people must be more religious, they must go to the mosque, and women cover up. most are angry, because moosual is a multi -- mosul is a multifaith and ethnic community. >> we have the u.s. warships getting into position. >> that's right, defense secretary of the u.s., chuck hagel said they were sending the "george wh bush" aircraft carrier group from the north arabian sea into the gulf to give them options. what options do the u.s. have in iraq? >> they ruled out boots on the ground. that's something the u.s. nor iraqis want. they hav

now, john kerry is here also to see what will be the role of the peshmerga. would they be willing to fight alongside iraqi security forces. this comes after spending a day in baghdad meeting with political leaders from all sides of the divide. and we have this report. >>> the fall of key iraqi cities brought worried american officials back to baghdad. they greed to provide military help. it comes with conditions. >> iraq faces an existential threat. and iraq's leaders have to meet the threat with the urgency it demands. the very future of iraq depends on choices that will be made in the next days and weeks. and the future of iraq depends primarily on the ability of iraq's leaders to come together. >> reporter: kerry told prime minister nouri al-maliki that means forming an inclusive government. it's been three months since iraqis have been to the poll, and four years since they had a defence minister. kerry and the iraqi foreign minister held talks on how to keep iraq from disintegrating. the fighters have gained ground with efficiency, it's the most serious

the casualties, one dead from the turkmen, two wounded from .he peshmerga the militia leader is questioned later. the militiamen admit to firing first, saying they thought they were shooting at insurgents. do not think they targeted me personally, but the convoy was attacked. i do not think they knew that i was in the convoy. >> whether a misunderstanding or deliberate attack, the peshmerga s decisive response improved the turkmen center towards them. >> from now on there will be good coordination and no suspicion. we are brothers. there is no difference between us. i hope you will understand there is nothing to make a fuss about here. >> even if it was the most serious incident of its kind, it was by no means the first. the kurdish commander wants to restore order to his territory. >> unorganized, do not have uniforms, have different weapons, and no leader. from now on, there is no question of seeing them in the streets at our backs. >> by seizing kirkuk things to the collapse of the iraqi army, the kurdish of achieved a dream. but in the chaos of iraq, they must now prove they can hold t

this is just an indication of how close the peshmerga are to the sudanese rebels. there is a feeling here that really this fight was not concerning the kurdish north. at least so far, but people are getting more and more worried, and you do hear about people in surrounding towns who want to make their way to this area for their own safety. >> thank you very much for that hoda abdel-hamid. that's our correspondent joining us from erd ill. >>> let's go to caroline malone at the crossing on the iraqi-jordanian border. what is the situation where you are, and who is in charge. crossing. >> i'm here at the border crossing, the main official crossing between iraq and jordan. things are quiet on this side of the border. there's a jordanian military presence. you can see the army trucks behind me. trucks are passing through. there are people coming, driving from iraq, baghdad, down the highway towards imam. one thing that perhaps is different in the location, and we have spoken to people in the area and the nearby towns, 60km away. they have told us they are seeing less tr

because groups in the other side on the other groups but of course the peshmerga which three a year ago i couldn't really walk around here without the help of an armed escort it was just too dangerous there are suicide bombings frequent clashes between rival groups but controlling here cool the kurds hope to prove that they can do a better job than the central government maybe safer so far but. what neighbors like isis it's unclear for how long. it didn't take long that evening we witnessed cure cooks temporary were spiked from violence shattered a suicide bomber tried to enter a market in a kurdish part of town at least six people killed dozens wounded the kurds may seem as the winners in this. and some of them are living in the euphoria of getting more territory. but more tentative and more people means more problems if it wasn't planned for already divisions are emerging minority arab and turkmen residents are worried about their rights in the new kirkuk kurdish authorities promised a referendum but in a worrying sign of what could be ahead these shiite turkmen are taking matters int

these kurdish soldiers known as the peshmerga law are the only defense that's keeping the insurgents from marching north. to this whole area dush isis fighters with snipers in the militant offensive striking with cross a rock is redrawing the country's borders but so too are the kurds as a rocky forces crumbled in the wake of that the harvest onslaught kurdish soldiers moved in to fill the void nearly doubling their territory in the process in just a matter of hours the kurds seized militarily what they failed to secure politically for decades the oil rich province of cure cooled and its main city spofforth. they. are all in because group in the other side there is diversion on the other groups but of course the peshmerga which three a year ago i couldn't really walk around here without the help of an armed escort it was just too dangerous there are suicide bombings frequent clashes between rival groups but controlling care coolpix the kurds hope to prove that they can do a better job than the central government maybe safer so far but with neighbors like isis it's unclear for how lon

the peshmerga don't have that kind of weaponry. the request they make is access to the same american weapons that the terrorists have. >> going back to talk about independence, is this the moment that the kurd waited for. they control kirkuk, the historic capital. the oil-rich city, the company. everywhere else is fracturing, and this is the only part of iraq that seems secure. is there much incentive to stay within the baghdad government. there are 5 million people. now they have oil. wouldn't it be better for them to be on their own? >> every kurd wants on independent kurdistan. i never met one that wanted to be part of iraq as their first choice. there were three things that kept them becoming independent. one was disputed territories. they have that. that item is off the agenda. the second is financial. having taken kirkuk, they have the oil resources necessary. and the third factor was international recognition. turkey, who is by far and away the most important country for kurdistan said the spokesman for the ruling party says

just 500 meters war the kurdish peshmerga forces. they have been for fortifying tr locations. >> he blew himself up close to the checkpoint. that is why we are beefing up security. >> reporter: the autonomous kurdish reach in the north, hasn't been affected between the iraqi government and the sunni groups. they tiedenned croalsd and imposed new restrictions at all crossing points. at the start of the crisis hundreds of thousands of people fled mosul to herbile. they can only enter by foot and only a handful of people are arriving. that is because the kurdish security forces have new security measures in place. and why those measures might make life more difficult for many rakes searching for security, kurdish officials insist they are needed to maintain security in the region. >> they will impose their own rules on the people of iraq. they don't respect human rights so we are ready to spill our blood along the front line to protect our children and women. >> reporter: the peshmerga share a 1,000 kilometer lodge border with the sunni

the peshmerga thought they had secured this place. but we just have been told there are 75 vehicles of isis fighters making their way here to try to cut them off. the battle is going backwards and forwards. things are still very fluid here. we are with half a dozen men who are trapped with isis on three sides. you need to find the most senior commander you can find and get them to get -- can you hear me? there is growing panic. they think the jihadis are coming in through the back of the building. they're right there, he says. they're behind us, can't you see them? a man is shot through the leg. he survived. eventually the fighting starts to die down. the cause was probably just a few gunmen left behind by isis in jalula. it was not the mass attack the kurdish troops feared. but it is in skirmishes like this in small towns on the road to the capital that the fate of baghdad may be decided. paul wood, bbc news, in eastern iraq. >> well, thousands of people fled their homes as the fighting intensified across iraq. many have headed for e

just 500 meters away are the kurdish peshmerga forces. they have been fort fieg their t are forces. >> translator: on june 26th the islamic state sent a suicide bomber in a truck and he blew himself up close to the gate so that's why we're increasing security. >> reporter: they are facing a threat. they tightened controls and increased security at all of the points. thousands fled mosul to erbil. they can only enter by foot. only a handful are arriving because the kurdish force he have new security forces in place and while those measures might make life more difficult for others searching for security, kurdish forces insist they are needed to preserve stability in their region. >> the islamic state is planning to control the whole of iraq and they will impose their own rules on the people of iraq. they don't respect human rights so we are ready to spill out blood along the front line to protect our worms and children. >> the peshmerga, both groups have engaged in clashes in some areas over the past few weeks. the kurds have so far been a

kiddish peshmerga forces sewered the city of kirkuk when the iraqi army deserted. with a shifting balance of power, they decided to stay. >> translation: it was a necessity for the peshmerga forces to go in and provide protection and prevent the areas falling to terrorists. article 140 has been accomplished and we'll not be ready to talk about that. >> reporter: article 140 was meant to decide the status of the disputed city. militarily this is a battle iraq is not equipped to fight. the u.s.-led invasion in 2003 destroyed the iraq air force, relying on who planes and attack helicopter. that's why iraq is desperate for fighter jets from the u.s. and anywhere else it can buy them. >> reporter: one of the shifting battle lines is a wide swath of area between kurdish forces and the i.s.i.l. they are continuing to fight each other in a very vulnerable strip of land home to christian minorities, not far from mosul. >> now the u.s. says it's using drones. what sort of difference do they hope that will make? >> well there are a lot of moving parts here. the armed drones t

hershbergerurdish arerdish peshmerga deployed.eed fuel for their vehicles and the region is home to 300,000 displaced persons. this man is from muzzle and traveled 40 kilometers just to refuel. petrol, no water, no electricity. everyone has fled to kurdistan, which has created a crisis here. before comment was not like that. there was no problem with the petrol here. but after one week, it is like this. >> on either side of the road, the managers at the station turned back customers. there won't be any gas until tomorrow at the earliest. but it is not enough to discourage everyone. some like the taxi driver leave their cars waiting for the morning to be sure to be served first. affecting crisis is us, too. people from muzzle so -- just fill their tanks here and sell gasoline for much more over there. >> they sell it for 500 denies per liter, and sell it for 2000. >> but there's is an irony to the situation. as a result of the crisis, they have taken near huge -- huge oilfield near could cook. .- near kirkuk this refinery was not m

here, kurdish peshmerga forces have been helping the iraqi army with the advance. paul wood was caught in a dramatic skirmish. >> the peshmerga thought they had had secured this place, but they have just been told there vii are 75 vehicles of isis fighters on their way. the fighting is back and forth, very fluid here. we are surrounded by isis on three sides. >> reporter: eventually the fighting died down and the kurdish forces cleared the town of remaining extremists. but these battles are ferocious and baghdad is not out of danger. the volunteers flocking to join the army know after baghdad isis militants promised to march on shiite areas further south. iran's president has now promised to help protect the holy shrines. this army colonel said he already has over 10,000 men and women of all ages who will soon be sent to the front lines. but securing the capital won't be easy. residents of the suburb of sadr city are used to being bombed by sunni extremists but say they haven't seen such a huge blast as this one. it wreaked havoc in a crowded market on tuesday, the

the tiny bit that runs west to syria i will bet is under the control of the peshmerga right now. therefore, they do not have an immediate problem beyond the hostage situation, and that is a big one for them. that is going to divert their attention to anything of a strategic nature until they can fix this. >> ok, thank you. yes, stanley, on the left? >> iran, according to recent reports, has boots on the ground in iraq now. according to a report today, it is making overtures to the united states to work together on this issue. should we respond to that? should we try to work with the iran? should we attach some conditions? and then, what should those conditions be? >> jim? >> if we want to maintain our vision of a unified iraq, and that is what president obama laid out, and we want to be able to deal with the kurds and the sunni arabs, we have to be very careful about any appearance of dealing with the iranians. now he would have talked to them petraeus era and met with baghdad.atives in ever it is not totally an on-off situation with the iranians, but it is pretty close to it. th

the kurdish leader has been touring kirkuk after captured by peshmerga fighters. he's been pushing for more autonomy. >> translation: how do we save kirkuk now, how do we live here with the diversity of people, religions and sects. it is more important for us kurds. we should welcomed the brothers. all religious sects. with the return of kirkuk you see the generosity and the kurdish heart is open. >> in other world news, 14 have been killed in a gas pipe explosion in india. it caused a massive fire that destroyed homes and forced the evacuation of a village. the fire at a pipe line owned by the gas authority of india burnt for three hours, but is under chrome. let's get the -- control. >> let's get the latest. >> what have we learnt about the fire, the latest casualties and the cost? >> absolutely. we are looking at 14 at this stage injured, treated in local hospitals. the oil minister of india convened a high-level meeting to talk about the accident and asked americans involved what to do next. let me give you context in terms of the company. the state of owned g

in the north peshmerga forces are reasserting command. rebels are increasing their presence on the border with syria, mosul is undergoing government air strikes. it's been held by rebels since 10 june. the government says it's in control of the country's largest oil refinery. rebels command tikrit where a major government offensive is taking place. >> let's get the latest from imran khan, who joins us live. what is happening with the retaking of tikrit? what is happening on the ground? >> for the last three weeks the government as has been amassing troops in samarra. an armed division of the ricky army travelled from samarra to tikrit. and they faced heavy fighting from i.s.i.l. on the way. they are not in tikrit yet. this has taken place after iraqi helicopters and special forces troops whept in over the last few days to talk the university. they were not able to take it, according to i.s.i.l. force, but the government says they are in control of the university. now they have the university according to the government, and they are mount

the number is set to increase. 5% of displaced families returned to the area controlled by peshmerga worses. >>> in baghdad a suicide bomber struck a neighbourhood. many were killed and injured. the capital is secured, but there is a sense of fear amongst many. iraq is heading toward a civil war, and the sectarian tension is building up. the united nations and the arab league expressed concerns and called on iraq's leaders to find a plit cole solution. -- political solution. that could be too late. >>> the pakistan military said 115 anti-government fighters have been killed in air strikes. it's part of a strike on strong holds in north waziristan on the afghan border. the operation is seen as a response on an attack in the biggest airport. we go to kamal hyder. is the government calling this a successful offensive? >> it's too early to say anything because the operation started anything, which is sunday, and no one expects a quick solution, because this operation is likely to go on for weeks, if not months. the military is saying that they attacked new positions close to the afghan b

kurdish peshmerga forces had held the ethnically diverse and oil-rich city since iraqi military forcesreated last week. >> ( translated ): security forces and peshmerga forces have control over kirkuk, and the situation is very good. still, the exodus from i-s-i-l controlled regions continues. a hundred miles southeast of kirkuk, families packed into pickup trucks and mini-buses to flee towns now in the grip of the sunni militant forces. while on television, the government's public relations battle waged on. state run "iraqia tv" today broadcast patriotic footage and music, including messages that read "all of us are ready to lay ourselves down for iraq." and, "our safety is with your help." in baghdad, hundreds of shiite volunteers eager to join the fight flocked to recruitment centers. >> ( translated ): i have volunteered to join the iraqi >> ( translated ): i have volunteered to join the iraqi army to crush the heads of the i-s-i-l fighters and those who allied with them. >> ifill: officials said in the past week alone, over two million iraqis have volunteered to take up arms again

peshmerga forces alongside iraqi police may not be a support for prime minister nouri al-maliki. >> you can cop this in several different ways. what we see is cooperation that's a necessity to bring kirkuk back upped the control of iraqi and kurdish forces. they are trying to blad out the sunni -- bleed out the sunni rebels. we'll see more of this kind of cooperation as the event move and as iraqi and kurdish forces try to decide what to do to get inside mossual, which is under the control of sunni rebels. >> we'll come back to you throughout the day. >>> president obama says it's up to iraq to deal with its own problems inside the country, but the u.s. is considering how it might be able to help, and whether military intervention is needed. we have the latest from washington. >> reporter: president obama pledged his for for the iraqi government. >> any action that we may take to provide assistance to iraqi security forces has to be joined by a serious and sincere effort by iraq's leaders to set aside sectarian differences. to promote stability and account for the legitimate interest of

displaced families returned to the areas controlled by peshmerga forces. >> in baghdad a suf bomber struck. many were killed and injured. the capital is secured against advance. there is a sense of fear. >> iraq is heading towards a civil war and the sectarian tension to building. the united nations and arab league expressed concerns and called on iraq's leaders to find a political solution. that could be too late >>> let's go back to the top story - the attack on the town in kenya. our correspondent is in nairobi. the death toll has been rising since the attack was report. do you have more details on what happened in pecka tony? >> the attack started sunday even around 8 o'clock, and the gunmen drove into the town in two mini vans. it gives you an idea of the extent of their numbers, really, several gunmen were involved in that attack. but the extent of the damage did not transpire until the early hours of this morning, when it was clear that several buildings in the town were attacked. government buildings, banks, coffee shops, lodging houses and a petrol station, and that many people ha

these are kurdish peshmerga troops battling fighters from the islamic state of iraq and levant. the kurds drove out the iraqi national force, taking advantage of the chaos elsewhere. kirkuk is on the edge of the kurdish autonomous region, and thousands of iraqis have been heading there to escape violence in other parts of the country. hoda abdel-hamid is there, and filed this report. >> reporter: it's not difficult to spot displaced iraqis these days. they are usually stranded by the side of the road, near a checkpoint, waiting for permission to get into the kurdish region. with a widening conflict, more are heading north. these are the latest survivors. they are from the turkman minority. this is not their fight. >> we left because of the fighting. i don't want to stay. i'm trying to reach my daughter. they are not allowing us to get through the checkpoint. they tell us to get through another way, but where? >> it's a question that many ask. it seems many are overwhelmed. >> when you travel through the region, you can't help but notice the amount of people on the move coming in

these kurdish peshmerga soldiers are on the offensive fighting to stop isis militants from reaching a major battle just 35 miles from baghdad. the fighting is street to street, town to town. they're filling a void created by last week's collapse of the iraqi army in the north. addressing the nation today, iraq's prime minister, nouri al-maliki, was defiant. "we have now started our counter-offensive," he said. "we will continue dealing heavy blows to militants." but even some top shiite politicians fear his divisive policies have cost him the backing of many people. we met bayan jabr, who was interior minister in 2006 during the worst sectarian violence here. >> all the iraqis must be united if there is a government that can do that, i think we can solve 50% of the problem. >> reporter: from prime minister maliki's government do that? >> no. >> reporter: after the stunning loss of so much territory to isis, jabr believes any iraqi government will need outside help to beat the militant group, and he claims that the u.s. and iran are already working together behind the scenes. so you th

well you know i think that kurds will probably pursue their own interests the peshmerga their military their millet militant force has been somewhat successful and. holding up the isis advances but you're right there is that oil there and isis may ultimately attempt something but i think. are going to resist that you see you see a much more unified. unification among the kurds and any than anywhere else and i think it would be difficult for isis to do it would be easier for isis to head west and go into jordan and go into southern turkey and consolidate those positions to enhance its caliphate that is building up on and ultimately of course it's got designs on lebanon where i was where i was just visiting so and there's there's tremendous concern there is well i thought isis and merging with al nusra so you're seeing a lot of these forces can the only thing that is working in anybody's favor is that isis has the has a military capability but the question is will they be able to govern all that territory they're taking over and already they're fighting from within some of the units and