Iraqi army begins to falter as it enters Tikrit city

(Baonghean.vn) - On Thursday, March 12, after entering Tikrit city - Saddam Hussein's hometown and currently under IS control, the campaigns of the Iraqi army and Shiite forces are gradually slowing down.

On Wednesday, Iraqi troops entered the city of Tikrit, but by Thursday the fighting had begun to slow down. Photo: AP

According to witnesses, when government troops entered the city of Tikrit, there were only a few scattered gunshots and explosions. Meanwhile, IS jihadists were still entrenched in the presidential palace of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

A military source said the situation on the ground was very complicated. The IS group had planted bombs and had snipers hidden throughout the city to prevent the army from advancing. Therefore, the Iraqi army was ordered to move cautiously to minimize human losses. At the same time, the army also blocked the roads leading to Tikrit city.

Since the start of the battle to retake Tikrit in early March, neither the government nor the military has provided any casualty figures. However, dozens of bodies have been seen arriving daily in Baghdad and the Shiite holy city of Nadjaf. This has made many government organizations even more worried that civilians are still in Tikrit.

The concerns of NGOs are completely grounded. Especially when conflicts continue to occur daily and tend to escalate in Iraq. Last Wednesday, IS carried out 13 car bomb attacks targeting Iraqi army forces in the Ramadi area. And on the same day, the Iraqi army said the US had made a fatal mistake when it conducted an airstrike on the wrong target, killing 22 Iraqi soldiers.

Chu Thanh– according to LeMonde March 12