Iraqi forces push toward Tikrit in battle against ISIS
An Iraqi provincial governor says Iraqi forces are pushing their offensive against ISIS and expect to reach the outskirts of the militant-held city of Tikrit soon, The Associated Press reported.
The battle to wrest Tikrit - Saddam Hussein's hometown - from ISIS is a major test for the Iraqi forces and allied Shiite militias.
The governor of Salahuddin, Raed al-Jabouri, says that fighters expect to reach Tikrit later Friday. He told The Associated Press the Iraqi forces still have not made it to the Tikrit airport as some reports have suggested.
Tikrit, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad, has been under the control of ISIS since June, when the militants made a lightning advance across northern Iraq prompting security forces to flee and abandon their weapons.