00:24Iraq: Army launch anti-IS attack in bid to retake Samarra
The Iraqi army launched a major offensive against the so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) in the areas north of Baghdad on Tuesday, in a bid to retake the city of Samarra from the militant group.
Reports have stated that several thousand Iraqi security personnel were involved in the attack. Both Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft are backing the offensive as some 7,000 ground were targeting areas west of the city of Samarra.
The militant group still controls much of the northern and western parts of the country. However, the retaking of Ramadi by Iraqi forces late last year and the push for Samarra show significant gains by the Iraqi army in pushing the group out of the region.
00:24The Iraqi army launched a major offensive against the so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) in the areas north of Baghdad on Tuesday, in a bid to retake the city of Samarra from the militant group.
Reports have stated that several thousand Iraqi security personnel were involved in the attack. Both Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft are backing the offensive as some 7,000 ground were targeting areas west of the city of Samarra.
The militant group still controls much of the northern and western parts of the country. However, the retaking of Ramadi by Iraqi forces late last year and the push for Samarra show significant gains by the Iraqi army in pushing the group out of the region.