Iran unofficially aids bid to recover Baiji refinery from ISIS

Unidentified US defense officials reported Friday that Iran is contributing small numbers of troops, including artillery and other heavy weapons teams, in support of an Iraqi ground force bid to recover control of the Baiji refinery town in northern Iraq. An official US military statement did not mention the Iranian role when reporting that Iraqi forces with US help had managed this week to establish a land route to the refinery compound to back up Iraqi troops stranded there.