Iraq: Sunnis Versus Shia in Tal Afar

The Iraqi government admitted March 29 that local police were involved in the massacre of some 70 Sunnis in the northern Iraqi city of Tall Afar. Though Tall Afar has seen militancy of various stripes in the past, this is the first case of sectarian violence in the city. This incident gives Muqtada al-Sadr's movement an opportunity to exploit the situation to its advantage to counter the pressure it is currently under and advance its position.