Concern Grows for Civilians as Noose Tightens Around Tikrit
Concern mounted Wednesday over the fate of civilians in Tikrit where Iraqi forces were trying to trap Islamic State group militants on the third day of a huge offensive to retake the city.
Around 30,000 security forces and allied fighters launched Monday the biggest anti-IS ground operation yet in Iraq, closing in on Tikrit from at least three directions.
A senior commander said operations were focused on cutting supply lines of weapons and reinforcements to the militants, who seized the city since June.
The next step will be to “surround the towns completely, suffocate them and then pounce on them,” Lieutenant General Abdel Amir al-Zaidi told AFP
More: Concern Grows for Civilians as Noose Tightens Around Tikrit - Region - World - Ahram Online