Iraqi Prime Minister in Tikrit: The Government is Determined to Liberate the Entire Country

After government forces and militias affiliated with the central government of Iraq entered Tikrit, where battles against the 'Islamic State' had continued in recent weeks, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised to completely expel the extremist Islamists from the country. In remarks made on April 1 in central Tikrit, al-Abadi stated that the government is determined to 'liberate every inch of Iraqi soil.' However, reports from Tikrit indicate that the security situation there has not yet stabilized sufficiently. Reports of clashes between Shiite militias and members of the 'Islamic State' in the northern part of the city have emerged. The Iraqi Minister of Interior also told journalists that there are still 'groups (of Islamic State forces) present around some areas of the city.' According to him, the Islamists have been attempting to escape through the Tigris River, east of Tikrit. According to AFP, one commander of the pro-government militia stated that extremists launched an attack on Wednesday from the northeastern mountains of Tikrit, intending to create a safe corridor for the escape of 'ISIS' forces. Reports of ongoing clashes between 'Islamic State' forces and Shiite militias in Tikrit have been published. Meanwhile, another issue mentioned in reports is the houses and buildings that may be booby-trapped, which could act as deadly explosive traps for government forces and civilians. There are also concerns that Iraqi forces lack sufficient special units to clear the explosive traps. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior reports that by Wednesday, 185 booby-trapped houses and an additional 900 bombs had been found. In this context, the center of Tikrit has been captured by the Iraqi army. 'Government buildings in Tikrit have been retaken from the Islamic State,' announced the victory of the Iraqi Prime Minister in the battle of Tikrit against the 'Islamic State.'