ISLAMIC militants have overrun parts of Iraq's second-largest city, driving security forces from their posts and seizing the provincial government headquarters, security bases and other key buildings.
The battle for Mosul is a serious blow to Baghdad's attempts to tame a widening insurgency by a breakaway al Qaeda group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Earlier this year, the group took over another Iraqi city, Fallujah, in the west of the country, and government forces have been unable to take it back after months of fighting.
Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki asked parliament to declare a state of emergency after the assault on Mosul. In a nationally televised press conference, he called for an urgent session for policy makers to win backing for the move.
"Iraq is undergoing a difficult stage," he said, acknowledging that militants had taken control of vital areas in Mosul, and saying the public and government must unite "to confront this vicious attack, which will spare no Iraqi".
Under the constitution, parliament can declare a 30-day state of emergency on a two-thirds vote by its members, granting the Prime Minister the necessary powers to run the country.
The insurgents took control of Mosul's government complex for northern Ninevah province - a key symbol of state authority - on Monday night after days of fighting in the city, 225 miles north-west of Baghdad.
Mosul residents said the militants appeared to be in control of several parts of the city, raising the black banners that are the emblem of the Islamic State.
The gunmen overran police stations and several prisons, setting free detainees who were seen running in the streets in their yellow jumpsuits, the residents said.
The fighters also seized helicopters at Mosul airport and seized weapons depots, according to parliament speaker Osama al Nujaifi, a Sunni from Mosul.
South of Mosul, several villages and a military air base around the town of Shurqat, in Salahuddin province, also fell to militants, Mr al Nujaifi said.
He added: "What happened is a disaster by any standard. The presence of these terrorist groups in this vast province threatens not just the security and the unity of Iraq, but the whole Middle East."
Mosul and Ninevah province is a key strategic area, a gateway to neighbouring Syria, where Islamic State has also grabbed swaths of territory. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has been behind a wave of violence in Iraq, claiming to be the champion for Iraq's large and disaffected Sunni minority against the Shiite-led government, and it is also considered one of the most ruthless rebel forces fighting to topple president Bashar Assad in Syria.
Meanwhile, at least 15 people have been killed and more than two dozen wounded in a bomb attack on a funeral in the central Iraqi city of Baqouba.
The explosion struck mourners gathered for the funeral of a Sunni university professor killed on Monday.
Police officials said the attack killed 15 people and wounded at least 27. A hospital official confirmed the casualties.
Baqouba, about 35 miles north east of Baghdad, is home to both Sunnis and Shiiites.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article