Iraqi forces battle IS militants for Tikrit 이라크군, 티크리트 부근서 IS와 치열한 교전

Meanwhile, in Iraq A major offensive is underway by government forces to take back the city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants Paul, what the significance of this operation? Well, Tikrit is considered a strategic battleground and will be Baghdad′s toughest challenge yet in its fight against I-S It′s a massive assault that has mobilized Iraqi troops numbering in the tens of thousands backed by war planes and local militia groups Victory is also believed to be crucial for future plans to retake Mosul, Iraq′s second largest city also under I-S control Our Sohn Jung-in has the story The thunderous sound of artillery and warplanes were heard outside Tikrit as Iraqi forces attacked Islamic State strongholds in the northern province of Salahuddin "We prepared these weapons to dislodge the extremists from Tikrit " The Iraqi prime minister ordered forces to regain the territory and to avoid killing civilians "Our goal is to release the ordinary people from oppression and terror threats from IS We must protect the lives of civilians and the property in the city " The massive operation to retake Tikrit from the IS group is reportedly made up of some 30,000 soldiers The Saddam Hussein′s hometown fell into the hands of the extremist group last summer The Iraqi military commander of the Salahuddin region, Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, told state television that the operation was "going as planned " Latest reports say Iraqi forces have seized at least two districts near Tikrit The number of casualties is still being verified Unlike other anti-IS operations in Iraq and Syria, the United States is taking a back seat this time as Iraq did not ask for any support or U S involvement Instead, Iran′s military is playing a significant role in helping Iraq drive the Islamic State militants from Tikrit Capturing the town is viewed as crucial in any future plans to retake Mosul, Iraq′s second largest city, also under I-S control U S military officials have said that mission could be launched as early as April Sohn Jung-in, Arirang News