Iraqi Army on Standby for Attack on Central Tikrit

Iraqi commanders are planning to reclaim the center of Tikrit, the birthplace of Saddam Hussein, from the control of the remaining militants of the Islamic State group. According to AFP, the remaining Islamic State forces are completely surrounded in the center of Tikrit, but their snipers and planted bombs in various parts of the city have complicated the clearing process. Nevertheless, Karim al-Nouri, one of the commanders of the Shia Badr militia, stated that Tikrit will be completely liberated within the next three days. Mr. Nouri mentioned that the remaining Islamic State members in the city center number between 60 and 70. However, a commander of Iraq's counter-terrorism units said, 'Urban warfare is difficult for all armies in the world.' AFP reported from its correspondents in the northern neighborhoods of Tikrit that dozens of craters are observed in just one street, resulting from bomb explosions planted by the Islamic State. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, captured Tikrit and Mosul, two important cities in northern Iraq, last summer. The Iraqi army and Shia militia forces, accompanied by several Sunni tribes opposed to the Islamic State, have reclaimed major parts of Tikrit in recent days but have not yet been able to fully retake the city. The recapture of Tikrit could pave the way for the start of operations to reclaim Mosul. U.S. military forces have been preparing several brigades of the Iraqi army for the battle of Mosul for weeks.