BAGHDAD — Syria’s air force struck Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants inside Iraq this week, Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said Thursday, as British Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Baghdad to urge its leaders to unite. Maliki’s confirmation of the air raids, which he said he “welcomed” but did not request, came after powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr vowed to “shake the ground” under the feet of advancing Sunni militants, risking ratcheting up already-high sectarian tensions. The latest news came as Hague made a surprise trip to Baghdad to discuss the “mortal threat” posed by an offensive. US military advisers, meanwhile, began meeting Iraqi commanders who have had more success in recent days in holding off militant assaults on key towns and infrastructure after wilting in the face of the initial onslaught two weeks ago. – AFP