Iraq forces look to claw back city from insurgents ~~~~~~~~ By RYAN LUCAS and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA BAGHDAD (AP) ” Iraqi forces backed by tanks and helicopter gunships have started battling insurgents in Saddam Husseins hometown of Tikrit, one of two major cities seized by Sunni militants during a rapid advance across the north earlier this month. The government received a boost with the arrival in Baghdad late Saturday of five Sukhoi 25 warplanes purchased secondhand from Russia. The aircraft is designed to provide close air support to ground forces and to destroy mobile targets. Iraqi air force commander Lt. Gen. Anwar Hama Amin said the military is in urgent need of this type of aircraft during this difficult time. These jets will enter service within a few days ” the coming three or four days ” in order to support the units and to fight the terrorist ISIL organization, he said, referring to the al-Qaida breakaway Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has spearheaded the Sunni militant offensive. The planes could be deployed in the fight for Tikrit, a predominantly Sunni city of more than 200,000 some 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad where anger towards Iraqs Shiite-led government runs deep. There were conflicting reports as to how far the military advanced in its initial thrust toward the northern city. Residents said militants were still in control of the city by nightfall Saturday, while Iraqi security officials said troops had reached the outskirts and the provincial governor said they had pushed into the city itself. The government has presented the campaign as a rebound following weeks of demoralizing defeats at the hands of insurgents led by the al-Qaida breakaway Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The militants surge across much of northern and western Iraq has thrown the country into its deepest crisis since U.S. troops withdrew in December 2011, and threatens to cleave the nation in three along sectarian and ethnic lines. If successful, the Tikrit operation could help restore a degree of faith in the security forces ” as well as embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is fighting to keep his job. Saturdays fighting began before dawn with helicopter gunships carrying out airstrikes on insurgents who were attacking troops at a university campus on Tikrits northern outskirts, Iraqi military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said. The government forces had established a bridgehead on the universitys sprawling grounds after being airlifted in the previous day. Sporadic clashes continued throughout the day at the university. At the same time, several columns of troops pushed north toward Tikrit from Samarra, a city along the banks of the Tigris River and home to an important Shiite shrine, a senior security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. By sundown, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Abu Ragheef, a commander in the Salahuddin Operational Command, said a column of troops had reached the edge of Tikrit, while another had secured an air base that previously served as a U.S. military facility known as Camp Speicher. The governor of Salahuddin province, Ahmed Abdullah al-Jabouri, told The Associated Press that troops pushed into Tikrit itself, reaching the provincial council building. However, residents reached by telephone Saturday evening said militants were still in control of Tikrit and patrolling the citys streets. They confirmed the clashes around the university, and reported fighting between the Islamic State and Iraqi forces to the southeast of the city as well. Some residents described black smoke rising from a presidential palace complex located along the edge of the Tigris River after army helicopters opened fire on the compound. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for their safety. Many locals had already fled the city in anticipation of a government assault, said another Tikrit resident, Muhanad Saif al-Din. Tikrit has become a ghost town because a lot of people left over the past 72 hours, fearing random aerial bombardment and possible clashes as the army advances toward the city, Saif al-Din said, adding that the city has been without power or water since Friday night. The military also carried out three airstrikes on the insurgent-held city of Mosul early Saturday. Iraqs second-largest city, Mosul was the initial target of the Islamic States offensive. The Islamic State, which already controls vast swaths in northern and eastern Syria, aims to create a state straddling Syria and Iraq governed by Islamic law. In Iraq, the group has formed an alliance of sorts with fellow Islamic militants as well as former members of Saddams Baath party to fight al-Malikis Shiite-led government. The militants have tapped into deep-seated discontent among Iraqs Sunni community with al-Maliki, who has been widely accused of monopolizing power and alienating Sunnis. The United States and other world powers have pressed al-Maliki to reach out to the countrys Sunni and Kurdish minorities and have called for a more inclusive government that can address longstanding grievances. Al-Maliki is fighting to retain his post, which he has held since 2006, as many former allies drop their support and Iraqis increasingly express doubts about his ability to unify the country. But he appears set on a third consecutive term as prime minister after his bloc won the most seats in April elections. Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 17:37:43 +0000
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