The fall of Ramadi to Islamic State (IS) militants has changed the way Iraq is trying to confront the Sunni-led extremists -- with Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia fighters being brought in to defend Sunni tribal lands.
With the rising wave of sectarian violence in Iraq, militias that were thought to have disbanded have reemerged and new armed groups have taken root. The development has ignited fears among Iraqis that the country could descend into civil war.
Iraqi volunteers -- both Sunni and Shi'ite -- are slipping into Syria. There, they fight on opposite sides, raising fears the war will spill back to Iraq.
