Questions over role of Iraq’s anti-IS militias

It has been almost a year since the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist group overran Mosul, plunging Iraq into crisis and prompting the United States, Gulf states and other allies to start an air campaign against IS in both Iraq and Syria. The US-led operation has included giving support on the ground, in the form of advisors and training to hone the urban warfare skills of Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Iran has been another major player in Baghdad’s efforts to push back IS, sending its own military advisers to the army and Peshmerga.