Deadly tension erupts in Iraq - but DOESN'T involve ISIS?

'All sides have agreed to stop hostilities immediately.'

Fighting in Iraq leads to 12 dead - but ISIS had nothing to do with the gunfire.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - News of ISIS-related acts of terror including bombings, rape and even threatening social media have splashed headlines for quite a while, but what else is going on in Iraq?

According to the Washington Post, Kurdish and Shiite troops went head-to-head this weekend in a battle that resulted in at least twelve deaths.

Despite ongoing ISIS-related fighting, the Middle East suffers unrelenting religious wars, often resulting in the deaths of innocent bystanders.

This particular fight took place in Tuz Khurmatu, a town roughly 120 miles from Baghdad. Kurdish and Shiite militias continued to fight, leading Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to order his army to "take all necessary measures to control the situation."

Religious tensions are so high, many neighborhoods are literally separated by walls built by residents.

Meanwhile, Kurds and Turkmen have also been fighting, until leaders were able to negotiate a cease-fire.

Kirkuk's Kurdish governor, Najmaldin Karim, stated, "All sides have agreed to stop hostilities immediately," adding that he would attend meetings to come to a long-term conclusion.

"It's not the first time," Karim explained. "[T]here is always tension."

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