BAGHDAD: Iraqi troops advanced towards Tikrit on Saturday pounding insurgent positions in the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far against militants from the militants of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS).
A senior officer said the Iraqi army, backed by thousands of tribal gunmen and volunteer forces, has retaken full control of the northern city, hometown of fallen dictator Saddam Hussein.
Security sources say military forces managed to retake control of the volatile city from the Al-Qaeda-linked militants on Saturday evening.
This comes after government forces attacked the positions of the militants from four different directions.
The latest development could facilitate the Iraqi armys advance toward Baiji and Mosul.
Meanwhile, an unspecified number of militants were killed during the latest round of operations near the city of Samarra.
In another development, the ISIL militants overrunning northern Iraq have kidnapped dozens of Shia civilians and destroyed several places of worship.
Washington based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the militants attacked two Shia villages near the city of Mosul and ordered its residents to leave their homes before taking away at least 40 men.
Soldiers of the Iraqi army have been engaged in heavy fighting with the militants in different fronts and have so far been able to push back militants in several areas.
The Iraqi army began its clean-up operations from the capital Baghdad a few days ago. The government troops have managed to retake several areas from the terrorists, killing dozens of them over the past few days.
The ISIL has vowed to continue its raid toward Baghdad.
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