Iraqi Forces Making More Advances in Battle for Tikrit

Iraqi government troops, with the help of volunteer forces, are pushing ahead with their operation to retake full control of the northern city of Tikrit from Takfiri ISIL terrorists, Press TV reports.

The Iraqi air force is covering the troops with airstrikes against ISIL amid advances by the ground forces toward the hospital of Tikrit, which has turned into a stronghold for the militants.

“We will liberate Tikrit. Now we are at the eastern axis. We also have forces at the Tikrit University. ISIL are stuck in the middle and have nowhere to go. Hopefully, we will liberate more areas,” an Iraqi police officer (shown above) told Press TV.

Meanwhile, another fighter with Iraqi police forces in the city expressed hope that the anti-ISIL operation, which started in early March, would continue successfully “until liberating [the city] of Mosul.”

Tikrit is currently under a complete siege, which has left the ISIL militants paralyzed and trapped inside the city.

The city, which fell to ISIL in June 2014, has a strategic position as it sits on the road to the ISIL stronghold Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, situated some 400 kilometers (248 miles) north of Baghdad.

The ISIL terrorists have been engaged in crimes against humanity in Iraq and Syria.

R.S