article_snippet: Shia fighters fire a rocket during clashes with Islamic State militants near Tikrit earlier this week .
article_snippet: Smoke rises as the Iraqi army, supported by volunteers, battles Islamic State extremists near Tikrit yesterday .
article_snippet: Taking their rest: Shia militiamen relax behind a sand berm as the Iraqi Army, supported by the volunteers, battles Islamic State extremists outside Tikrit yesterday afternoon .
article_snippet: An Iraqi Army soldier raises An Iraqi Army soldier finger in the air in a sign of religious devotion before attacking an ISIS target .
article_snippet: This morning Islamic State group militants in the north of Iraq set oil wells ablaze in an attempt to foil government forces battling to reclaim territory.