Baghdad, March 2 (RHC)-- Iraq has launched a new military operation to retake the city of Tikrit from the Islamic State militant group.
Thousands of Iraqi forces and militia fighters have converged in the city Samarra to strike nearby ISIS strongholds. The United States is expected to provide air support as part of its continued bombing campaign.
The offensive comes as the Iraqi military prepares for a major U.S.-backed operation to retake Mosul from ISIS in the coming weeks.
