BAGHDAD: The Iraqi government of embattled Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for an expanding armed uprising led by Islamist militants and tribal forces against his rule.
A statement issued by Malikis office accused the kingdom of siding with terrorism, adding: We strongly condemn this stance.
We hold it (Saudi Arabia) responsible for what these groups are receiving in terms of financial and moral support.
It continued: The Saudi government should be held responsible for the dangerous crimes committed by these terrorist groups.
The statement came just days after Riyadh blamed Malikis policies of marginalization and sectarianism for the unrest that has swept the country.
A senior Iraqi official told The Guardian on Saturday that Iran sent 2,000 advance troops to Iraq to help fight an extreme jihadist insurgency effectively seizing control of major cities in the country.
Around 1,500 basiji forces crossed the border into Khanaqin, a town in central Diyala province on Friday, while another 500 entered the Badra Jassan area in Wasat province overnight, according to the official.
Major General Qassem Suleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, had reportedly arrived to Baghdad to oversee defense operations in the capital.
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