Iraqi Forces Retake Town From ISIS, Move Closer To Seizing City Of Tikrit

Sniper fire and roadside bombs hampered the advance of Iraqi and Shiite allied forces, but the military took the town of Alam on Tuesday. The victory moves the Iraqi military closer to taking back control of Saddam Hussein's hometown, Tikrit.

Iraqi and Shiite soldiers have taken the town of Alam from ISIS militant control, several news outlets reported, sealing off the ISIS-controlled town of Tikrit.

Iraqi security forces last week launched a large-scale operation to take back Tikrit, the former hometown of Saddam Hussein and a stronghold for ISIS militants.

The Iraqi forces have continued their advance without the help of U.S. airstrikes, casting an eye on how Iraqi forces will perform as they try to take back control of a large swath of northern Iraqi territory that has been held by ISIS since last summer, the Associated Press reported.

The attempt to take back Tikrit, about 80 miles north of Baghdad, has been the biggest government operation against ISIS, according to the BBC.

The operation is expected to set the stage for Iraqi and Shiite forces to also move toward the more densely populated cities of Mosul and Fallujah, which have also fallen into ISIS control.

The AP reported that Shitte militiamen have been instrumental to the Iraqi offensive, including the involvement of Iranian military advisers.

ISIS holds about a third of Iraq territory and parts of Syria.

The offensive to take Tikrit is expected to be in the coming days. BBC reported there are concerns that ISIS has rigged explosives on the roads to the city to slow the military advance.

Skip to footer