Sunni rebels battling forces loyal to Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi prime minister, have broken into a military base in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, the Associated Press news agency reports quoting a security source and a local official.
They said fighters fought their way on Thursday into the base on the edge of Muqdadiya town, 80km from the capital.
The northern side of the town was already under their control before Thursday’s clashes.
The area around Muqdadiya has seen sustained fighting in recent weeks since fighters led by the Islamic State group, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, seized the northern city of Mosul and swept south towards Baghdad.
The security source said the rebels on Thursday included hundreds of non-Iraqi Arab fighters, heavily armed and some riding in tanks.
Negotiations were under way involving local tribal sheikhs for a truce, the source told AP.
Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the information on the Muqdadiya fighting.
A local official confirmed the fighters had breached the site, although he said they would be repulsed.
“They were able to control part of the base but we will retake it from them,” he said.
A military spokesman was not immediately available to comment, AP said.
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