Reports indicate at least 81 people were killed in fights between Iraqi armed forces and ISIS on October 1.
The deaths took place in Salahuddin province, where former Iraq president Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit is located.
According to China.org, Iraqi armed forces “initially faced stiff resistance by [ISIS] militants,” but were able to overcome it with the help of airstrikes. PressTV reports that Iraqi armed forces have also been aided by “unity among…tribal forces and volunteers …Salahuddin and Nineveh.”
Thereafter the Iraqi armed forces regained control of various villages and drove the militants further west. The push west was part of the Iraqi forces larger goal of driving ISIS away from Tikrit.
Tikrit fell to militants on June 11, the day after Mosul fell.
On September 26 Breitbart News reported that retired General David Petraeus said ground forces would play a key role in defeating ISIS in Iraq. And he said Iraqi armed forces could be the boots on the ground to carry out that defeat.
Petraeus said the Iraqi armed forces “can deal with this over time.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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