Time on Iraq side for liberating Tikrit: Defense minister
Iraq’s Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi says the Iraqi army has the upper hand in the fight for liberating the northern city of Tikrit from Takfiri ISIL militants.
“Now we are moving to the second phase of our plan,” Obeidi said on Thursday, adding, “Time is on our side, we have the initiative.”
He said the Iraqi forces along with volunteer fighters are approaching the heart of the city cautiously to avoid casualties.
“We are very keen for our losses to be as low as possible,” Obeidi said.
Iraqi Police Staff Major General Bahaa al-Azzawi also said the city is under the siege of the Iraqi forces.
“Tikrit is sealed off from all sides,” Azzawi said, adding, “We don’t want to be rushed because we want to avoid casualties.”
Chlorine gas roadside bombs
The ISIL Takfiri militants are employing roadside bombs containing chlorine gas to resist against the offensive by the Iraqi army and volunteer forces.
Iraq forces have reportedly defused dozens of such bombs in the areas retaken by the army and volunteer forces.
“They’re resorting to this new method, putting chlorine in these home-made roadside bombs, which is toxic to those that inhale it,” Haider Taher, an Iraqi bomb disposal expert, said.
Iraqi forces, backed by volunteer fighters, keep advancing in Tikrit, a major stronghold of ISIL militants and located 140 kilometers (86 miles) northwest of Baghdad. The operation has so far liberated major parts of the city, which is the hometown of slain Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
The operation involves a combined force of more than 30,000 fighters both from the Iraqi armed forces and volunteers, known as Popular Mobilization units. It is the largest operation launched by the government to date and many see it as a prelude to recapturing the northern city of Mosul.
The US-led international coalition against ISIL has no role to play in the operation to retake Tikrit, although Iraqi officials have announced they would use the support of coalition airstrikes in the battle for Mosul.
ISIL started its campaign of terror in Iraq in early June 2014. The heavily armed terrorists took control of Mosul before sweeping through parts of the country’s Sunni Arab heartland.
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