Up to 1,000 people have been treated for breathing problems linked to fumes from a sulfur plant set ablaze during fighting with Islamic State in northern Iraq

Iraqi forces pushed into a town near the Islamic State-held city of Mosul on Saturday after a wave of militant attacks in and around the northern city of Kirkuk set off more than 24 hours of heavy clashes, with ongoing skirmishes in some areas.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was on an unannounced trip to Iraq, but the secrecy of the trip ended when Iraqi officials posted video of the visit to YouTube Monday.