After the offensive launched without US air support and led by an Iranian general stalled on the outskirts of Tikrit, the Shia militia and the Iranian commander who was heading the offensive have faded into the background. However many militia remain in the surrounding area and even a few checkpoints on the outskirts of Tikrit. For the last three days, the US has been bombing the centre of Tikrit where the Islamic State fighters so far have been able to fend off the Iraqis even though outnumbered by over seventy to one. This standoff does not auger well for any attempt to recapture the larger city of Mosul. The campaign to recapture Tikrit has been going on for almost a month now.
Not only are the IS fighters providing fierce resistance they have set dangerous booby traps everywhere. Any attempt to advance is met by sniper fire that has taken many casualties. Instead of forging forward the Iraqis decided to call in US air support. In spite of the three days of bombing, there seems to have been not much change in the front line positions. There were reports that US bombings had killed Iraqi fighters near Tikrit but the Iraqi government supported US denials of the reports. The US has been carrying out what has been called “carpet bombing” by the coalition. Officials claim that there are no civilians left in Tikrit. This is somewhat surprising as one would think that the Islamic State would use civilians as shields. Even if there are no civilians the bombing will completely destroy buildings and any remaining infrastructure in the city.
The Iraqi government has several times announced that the city was about to be retaken but Lt. Gen. Ryadh Tawfiq overall commander of the Iraqi ground forces said:“There is a plan, and we are going as planned,It’s a battle that’s going on right now. We’re not in any hurry.” Brigadier General Abbas Khudair a spokesperson for the Operations Command in Tikrit said that nothing had changed on the ground since the US bombing although some special forces had gone out but were often driven back by snipers. When snipers were spotted US air support was often called in.
There appears to be some disagreement as to the role of Shia militia since the US bombing began. Commander of the US Central Command told the US Congress that Shiite militia armed by Iran and advised by Iranian military commanders were not part of the fight to recapture Tikrit. Yet according to the Huffington Post: “But on Thursday afternoon, after U.S. airstrikes had pounded ISIS-held positions the night before, Shiite paramilitary forces held many of the towns, roads and military positions leading from Baghdad to Tikrit, with Shiite fighters still inside the city.”
In any event, it would seem that the Iraqi government is not in any hurry to venture into an area full of snipers and booby traps.
