article_snippet: officials in northern Iraq say government forces backed by Shi'ite militias and Sunni tribal fighters have made little progress on the second day of a large-scale military operation to recapture Tikrit, which fell to the Islamic State group last summer.
article_snippet: Speaking from Samarra, the other main city in Salaheddin province, Haider al-Abadi appeared to be addressing fears of reprisals against Tikrit's mainly Sunni population.
article_snippet: The Iraqi regime forces have yet to enter Tikrit or the nearby Tigris river town of al-Dour, which officials describe as a major centre for the Islamic State fighters.
article_snippet: In contrast the US-led air coalition which has been attacking Islamic State across Iraq and Syria has not yet played a role in Tikrit, the Pentagon said on Monday, perhaps in part because of the high-level Iranian presence.
article_snippet: Tikrit would be the biggest victory yet for Iraqi forces battling Islamic State, but the attack by thousands of Shi'ite irregulars could severely test the government's ability to handle sectarian divisions.
article_snippet: Iraqi forces tried and failed several times to wrestle back Tikrit, a Sunni Arab city on the Tigris river around 100 miles north of Baghdad.
article_snippet: Tikrit would be the biggest victory yet for Iraqi forces battling Islamic State, but the attack by thousands of Shi'ite irregulars could severely test the government's ability to handle sectarian divisions .
article_snippet: The military commander for Salaheddin province, Abdel Wahab Saadi, said Tikrit had both symbolic and strategic importance. '
article_snippet: Tikrit is the hometown of executed dictator Saddam Hussein, the remnants of whose Baath party have collaborated with IS in attempting to topple the government.