In this Sunday, March 22, 2015 photo, Iraqi security forces descend along the al-Malwiya minaret at the Al-Mutawakkil Mosque in Samarra, 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq. The rapidly mobilized Shiite militias halted their advance and have successfully defended the city, which is also home to a famed 9th century A.D. spiral minaret and is considered a UNESCO world heritage site. The structure is still standing, but today it is covered in black and red graffiti hailing the various militias. (Photo by Karim Kadim/AP Photo)
|