Iraqi Troops Start Fightback Against IS

Iraqi and pro-government forces are starting their counter-offensive to reclaim land recently taken by Islamic State - but the effort is immense and many are questioning whether the Iraqi army is up to the task.

We took a ride with the Iraqi Air Force in Karbala to their forward operating base.

The line dividing the provinces of Karbala and Anbar is essentially a man-made sand wall.

Along the way are army outposts, half a mile apart, which are the first line of defence against the IS fighters.

The militants now control most of Anbar province. The spokesperson for the Iraqi Interior Ministry told Sky News pro-government forces would take back Ramadi "within days".

But flying over the 44-mile long border, it is easy to see why defending this vast area is no easy task.

It looks like empty, barren land but it is exactly what IS are fighting for - territory in Anbar that would get them closer to the holy city of Karbala.

Karbala is one of the most important places for Shia Muslims, home to two revered shrines. IS may have it in their sights, but it is well protected.

Anbar is just beyond the forward operating base. IS militants have come within five miles of it in recent months, but they were outnumbered by the soldiers and quickly retreated.

Major General Qais el Muhammadawi, commander of the Euphrates Operations, told Sky News that for now Karbala is secure.

But the only way to win back Anbar, he says, is for the army to work with Shia militias, known as Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), and Sunni tribes.

Recent defeats, however, have left the Iraqi army even more demoralised and divided. There are concerns they don't have effective intelligence on IS, so they are often caught off guard. They are trained and armed, but some lack the will to fight.

The Abbas Brigades are one of the Shia militias working alongside the army and part of the PMF. They do have the will and passion to fight IS. The PMF are the foot soldiers in Iraq's war against the extremists.

After five weeks of training they will be on the frontline - possibly in Baiji or Ramadi. Shia militias battling in the Sunni heartland.

Even with a common enemy, Iraq's sectarian divisions are as fragile as ever. For now though the militias have the army's back.