Iraq Crisis: Twitter, Google, YouTube and Facebook Blocked by Government to Stop Isis Plotting

The Iraqi government has blocked all social media networks over fears that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) was using the outlets to organise their insurgency.

Social media users reported not being able to access Facebook, Google, Twitter and YouTube.

Richard Galpin of the BBC confirmed that social media networks were down in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. However, it is unclear whether or not the ban is nationwide or restricted to certain areas of the country.

Isis is renowned for its social media use, posting YouTube videos of speeches given by the group's Mujahideen and tweeting its message to thousands of followers.

It is believed that Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's regime has made the move in the hope of disrupting the group's communications.

As with the social media ban in Turkey following the Erdogan leaks, social media users will still be able to access the blocked sites via dark web tools such as Tor.

The Ministry of Communications was also ordered to block access to 'pornographic' websites, an unnamed source told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

Isis have continued their advance towards Baghdad after capturing Mosul and former Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The militants have now moved into two towns, Saadiyah and Jalawla, in the eastern province of Diyala.

Iraq's most senior Shia cleric has called on the people of Iraq to take up arms and defend the country against the Islamic group, threatening to deepen unrest across sectarian Sunni and Shia divides.

A United Nations spokesman has said that the Islamist group carried out summary executions of civilians and members of the Iraqi army in the northern city of Mosul which could run into the hundreds.

US President Barack Obama has said that he is looking at "all options" to help Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki thwart the insurgency.

"I don't rule out anything because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria," Obama said.