The several bombs and booby-traps which were laid on the ground in Tikrit by the Islamic militia group ISIS could be one of the biggest challenge faced by Iraqi forces who have been steadily taking back Tikrit from ISIS.
There laid traps have slowed Iraqi forces invasion as the place seems to be littered with bombs and booby-traps.
Taking control of the Northern town of Tikrit requires a more careful but steady move, says Mayor Osama al-Tikriti. Thus ground invasion could seem to be much slower as compared to the US-led airstrikes which have been taking place.
Iraq Accuses U.S. of Killing Iranian Advisers in Drone strike
The drone strikes in Iraq have however faced its fair share of criticism from the Iran government who have been backing Houthis in Yemen.
The US is currently being accused of killing two Iranian advisers in drone strikes in Iraq earlier this month. However, the U.S. has denied such claims stating that the Iranians were killed two days prior to the day they did conduct the air strike.
The two officials who were purportedly killed by the U.S. were Ali Yazdani and Hadi Jafari, who were members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The US-led coalition began airstrikes against the ISIL in Iraq in August, while Iran has been advising and supporting the Shia militias that have played a key role in ground operations alongside Iraq’s military.
Shia militias Boycott Offensive
Sources have confirmed that the security forces were steadily capturing Tikrit from ISIS in spite of the offensive boycott by the Shia militias.
This would however not hinder the retake, though the booby-traps set on the roads, in the houses, shops and government facilities seemed to slow down the retake, thus the airstrike could be a more fast a relevant option.
So far, there have been reported cases of at least 17 security personnel who have died in the strikes and some have been wounded in the quest to conquer ISIS in Tikrit.
