Iraqi forces prepare to liberate Tikrit

The Iraqi forces are preparing to launch a wide scale military operation to restore the city of Tikrit, in the Anbar province, from militants affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), the Anadolu Agency reported.

The news agency reported security sources as saying that the Iraqi army and police forces, as well as tribesmen loyal to them, are gathering in Samarra, 118 kilometres north of Baghdad and 50 kilometres south of Tikrit.

An officer from the Samarra police force said in a telephone interview with the Anadolu Agency yesterday that “3,500 Shia militants from the popular crowd will participate in the operation to restore Tikrit city”.

“The popular crowd fighters arrived to Speicher Air Base and Sur Shenas region, north of Samarra, awaiting the military campaign,” the source said.

Last year, militants affiliated with ISIS executed nearly 1,700 Iraqi Air Force cadets at the Speicher Air Base after controlling the region.

A spokesman of the League of the Righteous, Iraq’s most powerful Shia Muslim fighting group, Jawad al-Tablawi said in a statement yesterday that preparations for the offensive have been completed.

According to state television, Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi will personally oversee the battle.

A military spokesman for the popular crowd, Karim Al-Nuri told the Anadolu Agency that “preparations to liberate Tikrit are complete and awaiting orders from the General Commander of the Armed Forces, Haider Abadi”.

Adding: “Over the past few days, ISIS militants booby-trapped all mosques and government institutions in Tikrit and dozens of homes and streets in order to prevent the advancement of the army, popular crowd forces and tribal fighters.”