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Isil jihadists flee as Iraqi forces storm into Tikrit
Biggest counter-offensive so far against Islamic State jihadists sees Iraqi army and Shia militias enter Saddam Hussein’s home city
3/12/15
Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militiamen entered the Islamic State-held city of Tikrit, an official and a witness said, a key test for Iraqi forces in their battle against the Islamic State militants.
Members of Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilisation units, which are dominated by Shiite militias, take part in a military operation in the village of Albu Ajil, near the city of Tikrit Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
By Richard Spencer, and Magdy Samaan7:47PM GMT 11 Mar 2015
Iraqi government and allied forces were in the centre of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown on Wednesday night, after a surge against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) jihadists all but liberated the city.
After clearing towns to the north and south of the city over the weekend, the Iraqi army issued a statement saying it had entered the main city on Wednesday morning.
A spokesman for local tribal leaders said there was a pitched battle to the west of the city, but afterwards pro-government forces made a quick advance towards the centre.
Iraqi fighters of the government-controlled Popular Mobilisation unit take part in a military operation to take control of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
“Our forces managed this afternoon to reach the centre of the city,” Sheikh Marwan Naji al-Jabara said, adding that they were near the main bridge over the river.
“After we closed the bridge three days ago Isil were trapped inside the city. There is no room for surrender.”
Another report said the government flag had been raised over the main police station in the city.
Iraqi government forces taking control of Tikrit (AP)
The fall of Tikrit in early June last year signalled the devastating sweep of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant through central and northern Iraq.
It was immediately followed by Isil’s worst massacre. After seizing police and army recruits at Camp Speicher, the former American military base in the area, they lined up Shia men and killed up to 1,700, burying them in mass graves.
As the pro-government forces advanced on the city, a number of mass graves have been found, and some bodies retrieved.
Members of the Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilisation unit celebrate with an Isil flag after retaking the village of Albu Ajil, near the city of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
The dominance among the fighting forces of Shia militia, backed by Iran, has led to fears of revenge killings.
On Tuesday, the pro-government forces reached the area to the east of the city, Abu Ajeel, occupied by Sunni tribesmen who were accused of taking part in the massacre. Pictures posted online showed some of its houses in flames.
The Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the leading Shia cleric in Iraq, has issued an appeal for fighters not to seek vengeance.
Iraqi government forces during a military operation to regain control of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
General Martin Dempsey, in a hearing before Congress, indicated the scale of the Shia dominance of local forces, saying that of those fighting in Tikrit, 3,000 were army soldiers, 1,000 were Sunni tribesmen fighting with the government, and 18,000 were Shia militiamen.
Gen Qassem Suleimani, head of the Iranian Al-Quds force, the overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guard, has been photographed co-ordinating operations outside Tikrit.
That is in itself a powerful symbol – Gen Suleimani made his name as a young man fighting Saddam Hussein’s forces in the Iran-Iraq war.
Saddam’s burial place, the village of Awja eight miles to the south, is also now in government hands.
Shia fighters launch a rocket during clashes with Isil jihadists on the outskirts of al-Alam (REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani)
The fact that some Sunni fighters are alongside the government and Shia forces will be held as a positive sign for the coming battles further north, to take the city of Mosul, and after that if and when Baghdad tries to reclaim the largely Sunni province of Anbar to the west.
However, the Jabara or Jubour tribe, which is based in Alam just to the north of Tikrit, are well-known as the most anti-Isil of any in Iraq.
A woman with a weapon and the Iraqi flag welcomes her relative who is part of militia in the town of al-Alam (REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani)
On Wednesday night, the pro-government forces were said to have secured the biggest district of the city, Qasadiya suburb in the north, with the university and the military hospital.
They also secured the main parts of the southern approaches to the city centre. But the final push was being held up by mines and booby-traps.
The army were said to be controlling the main streets, but not entering into individual neighbourhoods for fear of ambush.
Iraqi fighters of the government-controlled Popular Mobilisation units flash the sign of victory as they take part in a military operation to take control of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
Isil tactics have varied in the face of push-backs in both Iraq and Syria, holding out in some cases, as in Kobane for many weeks, and retreating and regrouping elsewhere.
In this case, they had the forces to launch a series of car-bomb attacks, perhaps as a distraction, killing seven people and injuring 18 more in a predominantly Shia suburb of Baghdad.
In Ramadi, in Anbar province, they let off 13 car bombs almost simultaneously.
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Biggest counter-offensive so far against Islamic State jihadists sees Iraqi army and Shia militias enter Saddam Hussein’s home city
3/12/15
Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militiamen entered the Islamic State-held city of Tikrit, an official and a witness said, a key test for Iraqi forces in their battle against the Islamic State militants.
Members of Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilisation units, which are dominated by Shiite militias, take part in a military operation in the village of Albu Ajil, near the city of Tikrit Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
By Richard Spencer, and Magdy Samaan7:47PM GMT 11 Mar 2015
Iraqi government and allied forces were in the centre of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown on Wednesday night, after a surge against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) jihadists all but liberated the city.
After clearing towns to the north and south of the city over the weekend, the Iraqi army issued a statement saying it had entered the main city on Wednesday morning.
A spokesman for local tribal leaders said there was a pitched battle to the west of the city, but afterwards pro-government forces made a quick advance towards the centre.
Iraqi fighters of the government-controlled Popular Mobilisation unit take part in a military operation to take control of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
“Our forces managed this afternoon to reach the centre of the city,” Sheikh Marwan Naji al-Jabara said, adding that they were near the main bridge over the river.
“After we closed the bridge three days ago Isil were trapped inside the city. There is no room for surrender.”
Another report said the government flag had been raised over the main police station in the city.
Iraqi government forces taking control of Tikrit (AP)
The fall of Tikrit in early June last year signalled the devastating sweep of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant through central and northern Iraq.
It was immediately followed by Isil’s worst massacre. After seizing police and army recruits at Camp Speicher, the former American military base in the area, they lined up Shia men and killed up to 1,700, burying them in mass graves.
As the pro-government forces advanced on the city, a number of mass graves have been found, and some bodies retrieved.
Members of the Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilisation unit celebrate with an Isil flag after retaking the village of Albu Ajil, near the city of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
The dominance among the fighting forces of Shia militia, backed by Iran, has led to fears of revenge killings.
On Tuesday, the pro-government forces reached the area to the east of the city, Abu Ajeel, occupied by Sunni tribesmen who were accused of taking part in the massacre. Pictures posted online showed some of its houses in flames.
The Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the leading Shia cleric in Iraq, has issued an appeal for fighters not to seek vengeance.
Iraqi government forces during a military operation to regain control of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
General Martin Dempsey, in a hearing before Congress, indicated the scale of the Shia dominance of local forces, saying that of those fighting in Tikrit, 3,000 were army soldiers, 1,000 were Sunni tribesmen fighting with the government, and 18,000 were Shia militiamen.
Gen Qassem Suleimani, head of the Iranian Al-Quds force, the overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guard, has been photographed co-ordinating operations outside Tikrit.
That is in itself a powerful symbol – Gen Suleimani made his name as a young man fighting Saddam Hussein’s forces in the Iran-Iraq war.
Saddam’s burial place, the village of Awja eight miles to the south, is also now in government hands.
Shia fighters launch a rocket during clashes with Isil jihadists on the outskirts of al-Alam (REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani)
The fact that some Sunni fighters are alongside the government and Shia forces will be held as a positive sign for the coming battles further north, to take the city of Mosul, and after that if and when Baghdad tries to reclaim the largely Sunni province of Anbar to the west.
However, the Jabara or Jubour tribe, which is based in Alam just to the north of Tikrit, are well-known as the most anti-Isil of any in Iraq.
A woman with a weapon and the Iraqi flag welcomes her relative who is part of militia in the town of al-Alam (REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani)
On Wednesday night, the pro-government forces were said to have secured the biggest district of the city, Qasadiya suburb in the north, with the university and the military hospital.
They also secured the main parts of the southern approaches to the city centre. But the final push was being held up by mines and booby-traps.
The army were said to be controlling the main streets, but not entering into individual neighbourhoods for fear of ambush.
Iraqi fighters of the government-controlled Popular Mobilisation units flash the sign of victory as they take part in a military operation to take control of Tikrit (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
Isil tactics have varied in the face of push-backs in both Iraq and Syria, holding out in some cases, as in Kobane for many weeks, and retreating and regrouping elsewhere.
In this case, they had the forces to launch a series of car-bomb attacks, perhaps as a distraction, killing seven people and injuring 18 more in a predominantly Shia suburb of Baghdad.
In Ramadi, in Anbar province, they let off 13 car bombs almost simultaneously.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
