Iraqi Kurdish forces said they had recaptured the country’s biggest dam from Islamic State militants on Monday, although an employee at the site said jihadist fighters still controlled key points on the vulnerable structure.
Hoshiyar Zebari – a Kurd who has been foreign minister in the outgoing Iraqi government – also said officials from his community would join talks on forming a new, inclusive administration considered vital for combating the Sunni Muslim militants who have overrun much of the country.
The Islamists’ seizure of the Mosul hydroelectric dam in northern Iraq marked a stunning setback for Baghdad’s Shi’ite-led authorities and raised fears the militants could cut power and water supplies, or even blow the shaky structure, causing huge loss of life and damage down the Tigris river valley. . .