Iraq mosque massacre: 65 dead

The news of the attack that left 65 people dead came as Iraqi forces -- in some cases boosted by U.S. airstrikes -- touted successes in the fight to push back the extremist Sunni Muslim militant group, which calls itself the Islamic State. Militants control large swaths of northern Iraq and eastern Syria, CNN reports. The attack in the Musab bin Omar Mosque in the village of Bani Weis in Diyala province, about 75 kilometers northeast of Baquba, also left at least 17 people wounded, officials said. Sunni lawmakers withdrew from negotiations to form a new government, saying they would not return until those behind the attack were arrested, two party officials told CNN. Iraqi authorities did not immediately identify the attackers, but Sunni politicians have put the blame on Shiite militias. Calling it the latest in a series of attacks by militiamen aligned with Iraqi security forces in the fight against ISIS, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq -- a Sunni -- said the government must conduct an investigation and hold accountable those behind the attack. "We want serious action," he told CNN. But the United States and the United Nations called on Iraq to continue its efforts to form a united government, saying it is the only way for Iraq to defeat the sectarian divide that allowed ISIS to take hold. "This senseless attack underscores the urgent need for Iraqi leaders from across the political spectrum to take the necessary steps that will help unify the country against all violent extremist groups," Marie Harf, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said. Read more