Iraqi Defense Minister Visits the Front-Line of the Battle for Tikrit

Iraqi troops clashed with Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS or ISIL) militants along two fronts of Tikrit on Thursday, March 12, after soldiers and allied Shiite militias entered the city in Saladin Province on Wednesday. This video, released on March 12, captures Iraqi Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi at the front-line on Thursday.

Obeidi told the AP that the operation to retake the regional capital from IS militants was “essential to opening a corridor for security forces to move from the south to Mosul.” Credit: YouTube/Iraqi Mod