(11 Mar 2015) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 2050314
Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militiamen entered the city of Tikrit on Wednesday, an army major confirmed, a key test for Iraqi forces in their battle against the Islamic State (IS) group.
A video obtained from a freelance cameraman showed Iraqi troops and Shiite militiamen firing and helicopters flying overhead.
"At 0600 (0300 GMT) on March 11th, our security troops... started advancing towards the centre of Tikrit city from four pivots," said and Iraqi Army Major who couldn't give his name for security reasons.
"We started clearing the neighbourhoods close to the city centre such as the industrial quarter,'' he added.
A video obtained from a freelance cameraman showed Iraqi troops and Shiite militiamen firing towards their enemy and helicopters flying overhead.
Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin province, lies about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Baghdad.
It is one of the largest cities held by IS and lies on the road connecting Baghdad to Mosul.
Retaking it will give Iraqi forces a major supply link to retake Mosul.
The US says its allied coalition has not been involved in the Tikrit offensive.
The IS group holds about a third of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in its self-declared caliphate.
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