Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militiamen have entered Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein and one of the largest ISIS-held cities in the country, an Iraqi official and a witness said Wednesday.
The local official in Iraq's Salaheddin province said allied Iraqi forces entered Tikrit through its northern Qadisiyya neighborhood. He said hidden bombs and snipers slowed the troops' progress.
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed troops and militiamen marching alongside Humvees flying Iraqi military and Shiite miltia flags in the city.
Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin province, lies about 80 miles north of Baghdad. It is one of the largest cities held by Islamic State militants and lies on the road connecting Baghdad to Mosul. Retaking it will give Iraqi forces a major supply link to retake Mosul.
Iranian military advisers have been helping guide Iraqi forces. The U.S. says its allied coalition carrying out airstrikes targeting the extremists has not been involved in the Tikrit offensive.
On Tuesday, Iraqi forces reclaimed the town of Alam, located near Tikrit.
The battle for Saddam Hussein's hometown is a key test for the Iraqi forces as they struggle to win back some of the Islamic State group's biggest strongholds in Iraq.
Iraqi forces and supporting militias now control towns to the north and south of Tikrit along the Tigris river valley. If Iraqi forces are able to retake Tikrit, it would add momentum in its campaign to recapture Mosul, the largest city under control by ISIS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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