Iraqi security forces are still fighting Islamic State militants in Tikrit despite an announcement by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi earlier Tuesday that Iraq had cleared the city.
Earlier Tuesday, al-Abadi had announced “the liberation of Tikrit” on his official Twitter account and on state television and congratulated “Iraqi security forces and popular volunteers on the historic milestone.”
But some Islamic State fighters are still holed up in the center of the city, while the Iraqi security forces, aided by U.S. and coalition air support and some Shi’a militias, have cleared most of the rest of the city.
Later Tuesday at a conference, al-Abadi clarified his remarks, announcing the arrival of Iraqi forces in central Tikrit and celebrating the takeover of a provincial government building, where Iraqi forces raised the national flag.
On Monday, Pentagon spokeswoman Cmdr. Elissa Smith said “we welcome the progress by Iraqi forces in Tikrit today and are consulting with our Iraqi partners to continue efforts towards the full liberation of the city … The coalition will continue to provide support to [Iraqi security forces] as they continue to operate in the area.”
On Tuesday, the Pentagon reported it carried out seven airstrikes in Iraq and one in Syria, including an attack in Tikrit that “struck multiple [Islamic State] buildings.”
“We have struck at [the Islamic State’s] command and control, supply lines, fighters and leaders, and military and economic infrastructure and resources,” Combined Joint Task Force spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto said in the same statement. The Pentagon has provided an almost-daily tally of airstrikes against Islamic State targets since operations launched against them last year.
“We have debilitated [the Islamic State’s] oil producing, processing and transportation infrastructure. We are seeing successes in this fight,” Marotto said. “It will take time, but we will succeed in our mission.”
This story originally published at 3:09 p.m. and has been updated since then.
