US Defence Secretary calls French counterpart to discuss Iraq

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has called his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss the situation in Iraq where Islamic militants have gained control over a large part of the territory.
"Secretary Hagel provided Minister Le Drian an update on the situation in Iraq, to include the political dynamics in Baghdad and a general sense of the security environment," the Pentagon said yesterday.
The two leaders also discussed the deep US-French defence cooperation in Africa, as well as preparations for the NATO Summit in Wales in September.
The two leaders agreed to keep in close contact on broad range of security issues and to speak again soon, it said.

Militants have recently seized the city of Tikrit as part of a sweeping jihadist-led offencive that has overrun large areas of five provinces since it began last month.