Iraqi Military Strikes Islamic State Targets in Tikrit as Ground Offensive Stalls

As the Iraqi military’s ground offensive to retake the embattled city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants stalled in recent days, some Iraqi officials have begun to call for more US-led air support, according to reports. Iraq’s Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghabban announced on March 16 that the Tikrit operation had temporarily stopped, as a result of the government’s efforts to reduce casualties.

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MoD) released this footage on March 18, along with a statement saying that airstrikes on IS targets in Tikrit were carried out by the Iraqi Air Force in light of the heavy loss of lives on the ground. Credit: YouTube/Iraqi MoD