Iraqi militants seize control more towns and border crossings

Sunni militants have blitzed through the vast desert of western Iraq, capturing four towns and three border crossings and deepening the predicament of the Shiite-led government in Baghdad led by Nouri Maliki.

The latest military victories - including two border posts captured yesterday, one along the frontier with Jordan and the other with Syria - considerably expanded territory under the militants' control just two weeks after the al-Qaida breakaway group began swallowing up chunks of northern Iraq, heightening pressure on Mr Maliki to step aside.