Iraqi Forces Liberate Tikrit From Islamic State

Sputnik News

18:20 31.03.2015(updated 19:04 31.03.2015)

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi congratulated the security forces on liberating the town of Tikrit northwest of Baghdad. The assault on the ISIL stronghold in Tikrit began in early March and is considered to be the largest Iraqi military campaign since the beginning of 2015.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi declared victory over the Islamic State in the town of Tikrit northwest of Baghdad on Tuesday.

'PM Al-Abadi announces the liberation of Tikrit and congratulates Iraqi security forces and popular volunteers on the historic milestone,' Abadi Twitter reads.

The liberation of Tikrit, that has been under the ISIL control since June 2014, means the Iraqi army can continue the offense toward northern Iraq Nineveh Governorate and the city of Mosul, the main ISIL hub in the country.

The assault on the ISIL stronghold in Tikrit began in early March and is considered to be the largest Iraqi military campaign since the beginning of 2015. Before that Iraq's army have undertaken several attempts to liberate the city.

ISIL extremist group ceased large territories in Iraq in 2014 and proclaimed a caliphate on the lands under its control.

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