Iraqi government calls for volunteers to fight IS

According to International media, Iraq's government has called for volunteers to fight against Islamic State and help retake the city of Ramadi. The government made the request in a cabinet statement which said that a voluntary recruitment drive was necessary to fill shortages in squads in the west of Anbar province. Ramadi was captured by IS last Sunday, and thousands have fled since.

Meanwhile, the US National Security Council said it was considering "how best to support local ground forces". Spokesman Alistair Baskey told AFP that some of the measures may include "accelerating the training and equipping of local tribes and supporting an Iraqi-led operation to retake Ramadi".

A more detailed announcement is expected in the coming days and President Barack Obama has been briefed by advisers and "reaffirmed the strong US support" for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

According to the BBC, Islamic State militants have been setting up defensive positions in Ramadi.

After a Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, the Iraqi prime minister vowed to prosecute forces who fled the city in the wake of the IS attacks. Abadi said the Iraqi people needed to "stand unified" and called for voluntary recruitment to the army. He also pledged to recruit and arm tribal fighters.

The council also issued a fresh plea to the international community to help Iraq's "war against terrorism".

The BBC added that retaking Ramadi is a massive challenge to the Iraqi government, and it has had to appeal to Shia militias despite risks of a backlash from sending them deep into the Sunni heartland. Some 3,000 Shia militiamen are said to be "on standby" at Habbaniyah military camp, some 20km east of Ramadi, in preparation for an attempt to recapture the city.

The United Nations says some 25,000 people have fled the area in recent days, with many having to sleep in the open. Streets in the city are deserted, but some shops have been forced to open by IS fighters. Militants were also going door-to-door looking for government sympathisers and throwing bodies in the Euphrates river according to residents.