Iraq: Iraqi army launches assault on Tikrit seized by Islamic State sunni group
The Iraqi army has launched an assault to retake the rebel-held city of Tikrit, security officials said.
The operation on Tuesday is part of a two-and-a-half week long Iraqi offensive aimed at taking back the city, which fell to Sunni rebels led by the Islamic State group in June.
Iraqi state TV said security forces had successfully expelled Sunni rebels from the city and were in “complete control” of the area. Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Baghdad, said officials were “very confident” about the claim.
Since the start of the Sunni rebellion led by the Islamic State group in June, both the government and the fighters have made conflicting claims of control over several towns, which are difficult to independently verify.