300 US Troops In Iraq Under "Severe Threat" After ISIS Seizes Nearby Town

WaPo reports:

 Islamic State militants seized parts of a town in Iraq’s western province of Anbar on Thursday, sparking fierce fighting within miles of a military base where hundreds of U.S. advisers are stationed...

Anbar’s provincial council called for “immediate and urgent military reinforcements” after the attack on the town of al-Baghdadi, which began in the early morning. Ayn al-Asad air base — where some 320 U.S. personnel have been training Iraqi troops and tribal fighters — lies five miles west of the town.

The clashes so close to U.S. forces will raise concerns as President Obama makes a formal request for congressional authority to use military force against the Islamic State, a move critics argue could open the door to real engagement with the militants on the battlefield.

Thursday’s fighting also demonstrates the continued ability of the Islamic State to remain on the attack despite coalition airstrikes. Still, U.S. officials maintain that the militants remain largely on the defensive...

The U.S. military said its ground forces were not involved in the fighting but that Anbar remains under “severe threat” by Islamic State fighters.