Iraqi forces take military hospital from ISIS as Tikrit offensive continues, Joint Iraqi forces now have control of Tikrit Military Hospital as they continue their offensive to liberate the city from ISIS.
The joint forces raised the Iraqi flag from the hospital premises Wednesday as they continued their offensive into the city from four sides, the Hashd Al-Shaabi paramilitary force said.
The predominantly Shia militia has been working with Iraqi troops as well as Sunni fighters to try to regain Tikrit from ISIS.
The hospital is a few blocks south of the presidential palace.
Tikrit, best known to Westerners as the birthplace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, fell in June to ISIS, which has captured large areas of Iraq and Syria for what it says is its Islamic caliphate.
On March 1, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered Iraqi forces to retake Tikrit and Salahuddin province.
ISIS wasn't making it easy, however. The Sunni extremist group blew up a key bridge near Tikrit, preventing the joint Iraqi forces from using it to cross the Tigris River to approach the city from the east.
Nevertheless, forces have made progress, forcing ISIS fighters to retreat toward the city center from frontline positions, Hashd Al-Shaabi's media office said.
There have been several failed attempts to recapture Tikrit since the second half of 2014. If Iraq regains control of the city, it could mean that retaking Mosul -- a city 10 times bigger -- is possible.
The Tikrit offensive involves around 30,000 fighters.
Ramadi under fierce assault by ISIS
While Iraqi forces piled the pressure on ISIS in Tikrit, the Sunni extremist group continued to flex its muscles in Iraq's western Anbar province.
ISIS launched a new offensive on the city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on Wednesday morning, Faleh al-Issawi, the deputy head of the Anbar Provincial Council, said in a statement.
The city is being attacked "from all directions," with ISIS firing more than 150 mortar rounds and rockets toward it, he said.
Some 17 explosives-laden vehicles have been detonated at various security checkpoints and in the city center, he said.
This is "the fiercest attack by ISIS" seen on Ramadi, al-Issawi said. Iraqi forces have imposed a curfew on the city.
Al-Issawi said air cover by the Iraqi air force was urgently needed. "We need air cover to repel these attacks but did not see the Iraqi air force do anything -- we only saw one airstrike by the coalition hitting one target," he said.
Officials believe "this is an ISIS response to the Tikrit operation that is ongoing in the north," he added.
He said there had been 10 casualties among Iraqi forces in the area but did not specify how many were killed and how many injured.
The joint forces raised the Iraqi flag from the hospital premises Wednesday as they continued their offensive into the city from four sides, the Hashd Al-Shaabi paramilitary force said.
The predominantly Shia militia has been working with Iraqi troops as well as Sunni fighters to try to regain Tikrit from ISIS.
The hospital is a few blocks south of the presidential palace.
Tikrit, best known to Westerners as the birthplace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, fell in June to ISIS, which has captured large areas of Iraq and Syria for what it says is its Islamic caliphate.
On March 1, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered Iraqi forces to retake Tikrit and Salahuddin province.
ISIS wasn't making it easy, however. The Sunni extremist group blew up a key bridge near Tikrit, preventing the joint Iraqi forces from using it to cross the Tigris River to approach the city from the east.
Nevertheless, forces have made progress, forcing ISIS fighters to retreat toward the city center from frontline positions, Hashd Al-Shaabi's media office said.
There have been several failed attempts to recapture Tikrit since the second half of 2014. If Iraq regains control of the city, it could mean that retaking Mosul -- a city 10 times bigger -- is possible.
The Tikrit offensive involves around 30,000 fighters.
Ramadi under fierce assault by ISIS
While Iraqi forces piled the pressure on ISIS in Tikrit, the Sunni extremist group continued to flex its muscles in Iraq's western Anbar province.
ISIS launched a new offensive on the city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on Wednesday morning, Faleh al-Issawi, the deputy head of the Anbar Provincial Council, said in a statement.
The city is being attacked "from all directions," with ISIS firing more than 150 mortar rounds and rockets toward it, he said.
Some 17 explosives-laden vehicles have been detonated at various security checkpoints and in the city center, he said.
This is "the fiercest attack by ISIS" seen on Ramadi, al-Issawi said. Iraqi forces have imposed a curfew on the city.
Al-Issawi said air cover by the Iraqi air force was urgently needed. "We need air cover to repel these attacks but did not see the Iraqi air force do anything -- we only saw one airstrike by the coalition hitting one target," he said.
Officials believe "this is an ISIS response to the Tikrit operation that is ongoing in the north," he added.
He said there had been 10 casualties among Iraqi forces in the area but did not specify how many were killed and how many injured.
