War hollows out front-line Iraqi town

MAKHMOUR, Iraq (AP) — In a once-bustling market town in northern Iraq, the few shops that aren't boarded up mainly cater to soldiers manning the nearby front lines in the war with the Islamic State group.

The extremists are dug in just three miles (five kilometers) away from Makhmour, and incoming mortar rounds and Katyusha rockets occasionally shatter the calm.

Amnesty International says Kurdish forces have deliberately displaced Arab residents from Makhmour and other areas because they view them as IS sympathizers.

The Kurdish regional government denies the allegations, saying residents have stayed away because of the security situation.