New York Times: ISIS Maintains Hold in Tikrit as Iraq Pauses Offensive
BAGHDAD — Islamic State militants on Monday continued to hold parts of the city of Tikrit against a much larger pro-government force after two weeks of battle, as Iraqi officials said they were pausing their offensive to call for reinforcements and to preserve property and civilian lives.
The slowing of the operation came amid reports that the tomb of Saddam Hussein in the nearby village of Awja, a politically and emotionally charged symbol for all sides, had been destroyed in the recent fighting. Its roof appeared to have collapsed, with rubble strewn around the area, footage from The Associated Press showed.
WNU Editor: So the excuse that they are now using to delay their offensive to retake Tikrit is because of civilians. My prediction .... they will be blaming the weather in the next few days on why they are not making progress. But the real reason why the offensive is being delayed is simple .... the Islamic State are dug in deep, and the Iraqi military/Shiite militias are not ready to accept high casualties.
The Battle For Tikrit News Updates -- March 16, 2015
Iraqi forces struggle to retake Tikrit from IS group -- France 24
Iraqi forces halt Tikrit offensive to allow residents to leave -- USA Today
Tikrit Offensive On Hold So Civilians Can Flee -- SKY News
Iraqi offensive on hold to allow Tikrit civilians to leave -- Rudaw/AP
Shiite militiamen find mass graves in village near Tikrit -- CT
Kurds report more chlorine attacks, Iraq pauses Tikrit offensive -- Reuters
Saddam Hussein's Tomb Leveled in Tikrit as Iraqi Forces Fight ISIS -- NBC
Saddam Hussein's tomb destroyed as battle for Tikrit rages -- The Guardian
Is winning in Tikrit really the key for Iraq retaking Mosul? -- Dan Murphy, CSM
Iraqi Tikrit offensive stalls -- Rick Moran, American Thinker
1 comment:
Your comment that they do not want to accept high casualties raises an interesting point. I'm seeing a lot of shooting in the air, a lot of mini barrages, a lot of explosions (like fireworks) but I'm not seeing much combat. Is it the battle of maneuver with the threat of capture and execution? Is this the new form of parade battle?
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