Iraqi soldiers, Shiite militiamen seal off Tikrit
Troops approach hometown of Saddam Hussein occupied by Islamic State jihadists
BAGHDAD— Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militiamen captured a town Tuesday on the outskirts of the Islamic Stateheld city of Tikrit, sealing off Saddam Hussein’s hometown in preparation to confront the extremists in one of their biggest strongholds, officials said.
Seizing Alam puts the offensive on course to attempt to liberate Tikrit in the coming days, the ultimate battle-readiness test for Iraqi forces now advancing there without the support of U.S.-led airstrikes. Their operation likely will set the stage for how Iraq attempts to retake the more-densely populated cities of Mosul and Fallujah from the militants.
Iraqi forces entered Alam early Tuesday morning, their armoured convoys roaring past the empty arid fields and occasional palm tree before gaining full control hours later, two Iraqi officials said. By nightfall, the military sealed off Tikrit on all sides, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin province, lies about 130 kilometres north of Baghdad. Sniper fire and roadside bombs initially hampered the advance into Alam, said Ahmed al-Karim, the Salahuddin provincial council chief. Extremists also blew up the Alam bridge to slow the Iraqi force, military officials said.
After seizing Alam, Shiite militiamen held assault rifles over their heads, chanting that the Islamic State group was “unable to conquer us.” Their involvement has been key in the Iraqi offensive, as have the involvement of Iranian military advisers guiding them.
The Islamic State group holds a third of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in its self-declared caliphate. In Syria, activists said Tuesday that more than 70 prisoners escaped from an Islamic State jail in the northern town of Al-Bab, with militants searching for those who fled.
In recent months, the Islamic State group has been defeated in some areas, including the Syrian border town of Kobani and several surrounding villages.
U.S. military officials have that said a co-ordinated military mission to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, likely will begin in April or May and involve up to 25,000 Iraqi troops. But the Americans have cautioned that if the Iraqis are not ready, the offensive could be delayed.
Tikrit is one of the largest cities held by Islamic State militants and lies on the road connecting Baghdad to Mosul. Retaking it will help Iraqi forces have a major supply link for any future operation to retake Mosul.
Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has emphasized on the importance of sustaining the anti-Islamic State coalition for the longer term. Shiite dominance in Baghdad has upset predominantly Sunni countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Iraq’s own Sunni heartland, leading some to support the extremists.
Former members of Iraq’s outlawed Baath party, loyalists to Saddam, also joined the Islamic State group during its offensive.