BAGHDAD — Backed by allied Shiite, Sunni and Iranian fighters, Iraqi security forces launched a large-scale military operation Monday to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown from the Islamic State extremist group, a major step in a campaign to reclaim territory in northern Iraq controlled by the militants.
But hours into the operation, a key test for the embattled Iraqi army, the military said it still hadn't entered the city of Tikrit, indicating a long battle lies ahead.
State-run Al-Iraqiya television said that forces were attacking Tikrit from different directions, backed by artillery and airstrikes by Iraqi fighter jets. It said the militants were dislodged from some areas outside the city. Several hours into the operation, it gave no additional details.
The military commander of Salahuddin region, Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, told state TV the operation was "going on as planned," with fighting taking place outside Tikrit mainly on its eastern side.
Read Tuesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
