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| Iraq moves against Islamic State in Tikrit | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Iraq has launched a military operation to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit from Islamic State (IS), Iraqi TV says. | Iraq has launched a military operation to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit from Islamic State (IS), Iraqi TV says. |
| Local media reported that forces were attacking the city, backed by airstrikes from Iraqi fighter jets. | Local media reported that forces were attacking the city, backed by airstrikes from Iraqi fighter jets. |
| Tikrit lies 150km (95 miles) north of the capital Baghdad and was seized by IS militants in June 2014. | Tikrit lies 150km (95 miles) north of the capital Baghdad and was seized by IS militants in June 2014. |
| Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met military leaders in Salahuddin province ahead of the advance. | |
| He offered to pardon all Sunni tribal fighters who abandoned IS, describing it as a "last chance". | He offered to pardon all Sunni tribal fighters who abandoned IS, describing it as a "last chance". |
| Major offensive | |
| Al-Iraqiya TV said that IS militants had been dislodged from some areas outside Tikrit but this has not been confirmed. | Al-Iraqiya TV said that IS militants had been dislodged from some areas outside Tikrit but this has not been confirmed. |
| It added that Iraqi police and militiamen from the Popular Mobilization Forces were advancing on Tikrit as airstrikes hit IS strongholds. | |
| A military official told Reuters news agency that Iraqi forces had advanced 45km north (25 miles) from the central city of Samarra towards the embattled town of al-Dour. | |
| Mr Abadi declared the start of the operation late on Sunday, as tens of thousands of troops and militia gathered in Samarra in preparation for the offensive. | |
| Mr al-Abadi called on those "who have been misled or committed a mistake to lay down arms and join their people and security forces in order to liberate their cities". | |
| He added that the city of Tikrit would soon return to its people. | |
| Tikrit, hometown of former President Saddam Hussein, was the second major gain for IS after the group captured the city of Mosul in June last year. | Tikrit, hometown of former President Saddam Hussein, was the second major gain for IS after the group captured the city of Mosul in June last year. |
| IS militants hold several areas of Salahuddin, a predominantly Sunni Muslim province. | |
| Mosul was home to more than a million people when it fell to IS after the militants launched an offensive in northern Iraq that saw it seize large swathes of the country. | Mosul was home to more than a million people when it fell to IS after the militants launched an offensive in northern Iraq that saw it seize large swathes of the country. |
| Soldiers and allied Shia militiamen have now begun to recapture territory from IS north of Baghdad, with the help of US-led coalition air strikes. | Soldiers and allied Shia militiamen have now begun to recapture territory from IS north of Baghdad, with the help of US-led coalition air strikes. |
| At the same time, Kurdish peshmerga forces have been making advances around Mosul. | At the same time, Kurdish peshmerga forces have been making advances around Mosul. |
| In February, Mr al-Abadi said that Iraqi armed forces would be launching a major offensive "in a few months' time" to retake the city from IS militants. | In February, Mr al-Abadi said that Iraqi armed forces would be launching a major offensive "in a few months' time" to retake the city from IS militants. |