Top Iraqi Commanders Fired After Fleeing Militants

The Iraqi government has announced the dismissal of several top military commanders today for fleeing during the ISIS takeover of the Nineveh Province, and its provincial capital of Mosul.

Most of the commanders were simply fired from their positions, though one was reportedly facing a court-martial for desertion as well. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had been calling for the execution of deserters in recent days.

Heavily armed and praised for its training, the rapid and complete collapse of Iraq’s military has been a shocking turn of events, as ISIS has routed them at every turn, and in many cases troops fled before the fighting even began.

The overwhelming loss has hit Iraqi military morale even further, as the armed forces are seen as increasingly unreliable, and locals look to volunteers and militias to defend them from ISIS.