Spain's King Felipe VI on Wednesday visited special forces helping Iraq fight jihadists, during the first trip by a Spanish monarch to the war-ravaged country in four decades, a diplomat said.

The king, whose country is a member of an international coalition battling the Islamic State group, also later met President Barham Saleh.

Iraq in 2017 declared victory over IS following a bruising months-long campaign backed by the coalition, which continues to carry out operations against the jihadists.

Spain, which took part in the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq that overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein, went on to support Iraqi troops as they battled to roll back IS, which seized a third of the country including second city Mosul in 2014.

Hundreds of Spanish military instructors remain in the country.

King Felipe is one of a series of leaders to visit Baghdad since the start of the year, including US President Donald Trump, who drew criticism for failing to meet a single Iraqi official.

Baghdad has also hosted the chief diplomats of its two main allies, Washington and Tehran -- themselves bitter enemies.

Iraq's precarious position has been complicated by Trump's shock decision last month to pull troops from neighbouring Syria.

That has prompted pro-Iran factions to intensify their calls for an accelerated withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Four police dead in back-to-back bomb blasts in Iraq
Samarra, Iraq (AFP) Jan 27, 2019
Four Iraqi policemen were killed Sunday in two back-to-back bomb blasts north of the capital, officials said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. "At around 8:00 am, the police officers were taking up their post at the southern entrance of Al-Sharqat," the town's mayor, Ali Dodah, told AFP. "One bomb went off, killing two police officers and wounding eight. An hour and a half later, as reinforcements arrived, a second bomb went off," Dodah said. A police officer speaking on cond ... read more