Iraqi soldiers backed by Shi’ite militias fought Sunni rebels for control of a military base northeast of Baghdad yesterday as a UN envoy warned of chaos if divided lawmakers do not make progress today towards naming a government.

Forces loyal to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki launched an early morning push to repel Islamic State militants who fought their way on Thursday into a military base on the edge of Muqdadiya, 80km northeast of the capital.

Civilians including children from nearby villages were killed by helicopter gunship fire

Heavy fighting raged for hours and was continuing yesterday afternoon, local sources said.

Seven civilians including children from nearby villages were killed by helicopter gunship fire, police and medics said.

The Sunni militants had moved toward the base after seizing the town of Sadur just to the north. They were equipped with artillery and mortars and drove vehicles including captured tanks and Humvees.

Bickering lawmakers in Baghdad are under pressure from the United States, the United Nations and Iraq’s own Shi’ite clerics to form a new government swiftly to deal with the Sunni insurgency, which seized territory in the north and west last month.

An inclusive government is needed to hold Iraq together, but there is no consensus on who should lead it.

The national Parliament elected in April met for the first time on July 1 but failed to agree on nominations for the top three government posts.