Outside Kirkuk in northern Iraq, a border between Kurdish- and Islamic State-controlled territory is crossed every day by civilians conducting business on both sides.

TERROR group Al-Qaeda has called on Muslims worldwide to join Islamic State in their quest to create a caliphate as the militants continue to be beaten back in both Syria and Iraq.

For the second day, Iraq and Kurd forces backed by Coalition air strikes and on-the- ground US and UK military advisers successfully fought battles on multiple fronts halting the militants’ momentum.

In Tikrit, north of Baghdad Iraqi forces backed by their air force destroyed six ISIS armoured personnel carriers and an unknown number of militants while fierce battles also raged about Ramadi in the country’s north west where a curfew has now been imposed.

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The Iraqi force of military and police also moved two battalions into the Anbar province of which Ramadi is the capital.

An intelligence tip off also led to forces uncovering an arsenal of weapons outside the Tikrit including dozens of home made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and mortars. Gains by Kurdish fighters were also made in the border town of Kobani thanks largely to another six

air strikes yesterday pounding ISIS reinforcements that had been arriving in the area.

The commander of US military operations in the region was cautiously optimistic about the gains. Army General Lloyd Austin said he believed the Iraqi government would successfully enlist the support of Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province to help turn the tide in that

important region.

In his weekly Friday prayers Iraq’s most revered Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said Iraqi tribes had always been fundamental to protecting Iraq and its people.

“We urge the Iraq faithful tribesmen — especially those in western Iraq who have been subjected to a fierce campaign by Daesh in recent months to trust their abilities, and the ability of the Iraqi army to defeat those gangs,” he said, referring to ISIS by its Arabic acronym.

But the gains came as reports al-Qaeda in Yemen, which is experiencing its own separatist movement, called on Muslim reinforcements worldwide to fight the cause.

“We urge all mujahedeen (Muslim fighters) to set aside their differences and inter-factional fighting and move instead against the crusade targeting all jihadists,” al-Qaeda said in a statement, reinforcing earlier fears it was again looking to unite with ISIS after the terrorist group formally split in February.

“We also urge all Muslims to back their brethren, with their souls, money and tongues, against the crusaders … whoever can weaken the Americans to weaken them militarily, economically, and media-wise.”

There were also reports yesterday that Iraq pilots who defected to join ISIS are training the militants to fly three Mig fighters they captured.

The claims was made by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group which has extensive network of contacts and claim the aircraft were captured in Jarrah military airport near Aleppo and were doing low level training to avoid radar. Images of alleged captured aircraft had earlier been posted on Twitter. US military command however said yesterday it had no knowledge of the claim.