Tikrit to defeat ISIL

Baghdad - A coalition of Shia militias, Iraqi government forces, and volunteers are in the midst of a major military operation to retake the city of Tikrit from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that controlled it since last June.
On Sunday, fighting intensified to the north and south of the city perhaps best known as Saddam Hussein's hometown.Iraqi security forces vowed to reach the centre of Tikrit within 48 hours.
So far, the campaign, according to military officials, looks to be succeeding, expelling ISIL fighters from areas east and south of Tikrit.
This development, according to analysts, reflects unprecedented coordination between the Iraqi military, the popular mobilisation forces, and anti-ISIL Sunni tribesmen.
The anti-ISIL forces are currently surrounding the city of Tikrit from all directions, Iraqi government officials and military officers told Al Jazeera.
"The troops have entered the city [Tikrit] from two directions, the northern and southern districts, but the advance is slow because of the snipers and the booby traps," Jasim Ataiya, the deputy governor of Salahuddin province, told Al Jazeera.