Iraq: pro-government forces struggle to topple Isis in Tikrit
An offensive to retake Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit appears to have slowed, with fighters struggling to uproot Islamic State militants battling to retain control of one of their major bastions in Iraq. Pro-government forces, led by Shia militias and including the Iraqi army and tribal fighters, this week launched a three-pronged assault on the […]Kareem Shaheen reports for the Guardian:
An offensive to retake Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit appears to have slowed, with fighters struggling to uproot Islamic State militants battling to retain control of one of their major bastions in Iraq. Pro-government forces, led by Shia militias and including the Iraqi army and tribal fighters, this week launched a three-pronged assault on the centre of the city, which was conquered by Isis in a lightning advance last summer.
“Their situation is deteriorating and God willing the advance will continue,” said Ahmad al-Kinani, a member of the political council of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, a Shia militia and political organisation taking part in the offensive. The operation to reclaim Tikrit is a key test for the Iraqi government and the militias, known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, which have been at the forefront of the fight against Isis.
