Roadside bombs slow attempt to liberate Iraqi city from Isis
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Version 0 of 1. Iraqi troops and Shia militia fought with Islamic State extremists south of the militant-held city of Tikrit, but their offensive to retake Saddam Hussein’s home town was slowed by roadside bombs, local officials said. Backed by Iranian-backed Shia militia and advisers, along with Sunni tribal fighters, Iraqi government forces made little headway on the second day of a large-scale military operation to recapture Tikrit, which fell to Isis last summer, two officials said. The two sides were engaged in fierce clashes mainly outside the town of Dour, while government troops were shelling militant bases inside the city, they said. Related: Iraqi army and militia begin assault on Isis strongholds north of Baghdad The operation is seen as a litmus test for the capability of Iraqi troops to dislodge the militants from major cities they conquered in the country’s Sunni heartland in the north and west, during an onslaught last summer. Previous attempts to capture Tikrit failed because of tough resistance from the militants. Tikrit, the provincial capital of Salahuddin province, is located 80 miles north of Baghdad. It was taken by Isis, along with the north’s second-largest city, Mosul, during last year’s fighting. US military officials have said a coordinated military mission to retake Mosul will likely begin in April or May and involve up to 25,000 Iraqi troops. But the Americans have cautioned that if the Iraqis aren’t ready, the offensive could be delayed. On Monday, Iraqi and US officials said the American-led coalition was not involved in the Tikrit operation and had not been asked to carry out air strikes. Also on Monday, Iran’s Fars news agency reported Gen Ghasem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, was taking part in the offensive. Soleimani has emerged as the chief tactician in Iraq’s fight against the Sunni militants. Gen Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, the military commander of the Salahuddin region told Iraqi state TV that troops would need some time to enter Tikrit. |