Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants searched door-to-door for policemen and pro-government fighters and threw bodies in the Euphrates River in a bloody purge Monday after capturing the strategic city of Ramadi, their biggest victory since overrunning much of northern and western Iraq last year.
Some 500 civilians and soldiers died in the extremist killing spree since the final push for Ramadi began Friday, authorities said.
Responding to a call from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, hundreds of Iranian-allied Shiite militiamen rushed to a military base near Ramadi, the capital of overwhelming Sunni Anbar province, to prepare for an assault to try to retake the city, Anbar officials said.
The order came despite Obama administration concerns that the presence of Shiite fighters in the Sunni-dominated region could spark sectarian bloodshed.

ISIS looks for collaborators after taking Ramadi
Iraqi security forces defend their headquarters against attacks by ISIS extremists in the eastern part of Ramadi in Anbar province, May 14, 2015. (Reuters)
Associated Press, Baghdad
Tuesday 19 May 2015
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:44 - GMT 06:44
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