The Iraqi ministry of defence has promised a crackdown on the country’s armed militias. Director of operations Maj Gen Abdul Aziz Jasim said anyone carrying weapons who was not in the legitimate security forces would be treated as a terrorist. It follows days of sectarian violence sparked by an attack on a key Shia shrine that has left at least 165 people dead since last Wednesday. A daytime curfew imposed on Baghdad and nearby provinces has now been lifted. Full Story