Militants seize more Iraq towns as US presses unity

BAGHDAD: Sunni militants advanced in western Iraq and killed 21 people after security forces left several towns, while America's top diplomat called Sunday for the country's leaders to rise above sectarianism.

It is the latest in a series of setbacks for Iraqi forces, which are struggling to hold their ground in the face of an insurgent onslaught that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and sparked fears that the country could tear itself apart.