Iraqi militia loyal to radical cleric joins Tikrit offensive
None
Dozens of fighters with the militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr left Iraq's capital Sunday to take part in an offensive to capture Tikrit from the Islamic State group.
Men from Iraq's Peace Brigade left to the Shiite holy city of Samarra, the launching point for operations to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown. About a dozen heavily armed trucks packed with fighters left Baghdad earlier Sunday. "We are traveling to help the community of Muslims and to help the people of Iraq," said Ali al-Mousawi, a spokesman for the brigade. Iraqi troops and Iranian-backed Shiite militias launched a long-awaited offensive this month aimed at retaking Tikrit, a Sunni bastion on the Tigris River whose capture would pave the way for an assault on Mosul, which US officials have said could come as soon as next month.
