Official: Army Advancing in Towns near Tikrit

Iraqi security forces, backed by Shiite and Sunni fighters, have made major advances in their fight against the ISIL Takfiri group in the two towns of al-Alam and al-Dour near Tikrit, claiming the lives of dozens of the terrorists, an Iraqi official said.

“We are trying to surround ISIL inside al-Alam and al-Dour and cut all supply routes for them,” said al-Alam mayor Laith al-Jubouri.

Army and militia fighters entered the Southern and Eastern parts of al-Dour on Friday.

According to reports on Saturday, the Iraqi soldiers inflicted hefty losses on the ISIL terrorists in the village of Kuwaishat in Fallujah, as the army continued its huge offensive to liberate Tikrit from the control of the Takfiri group.

The ISIL terrorists escaped the village and left their weapons and vehicles behind.

Thousands of government troops, Shiite and Sunni popular forces have started a major offensive in the Iraqi city of Samarra to oust the ISIL terrorists from the strategic province of Salahuddin, which includes the ancient city of Tikrit.