( CNN ) Airstrikes started Wednesday in Tikrit , where Iraqi and coalition forces are battling to wrest control from ISIS . `` These strikes are intended to destroy ISIL strongholds with precision , thereby saving innocent Iraqi lives while minimizing collateral damage to infrastructure , '' said Lt. Gen. James L. Terry , commanding general of the international coalition , led by the United States . `` This will further enable Iraqi forces under Iraqi command to maneuver and defeat ISIL in the vicinity of Tikrit , '' he said , using an alternative acronym for ISIS . At the request of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi , the coalition is providing `` airstrikes , airborne intelligence capabilities , and advise and assist support to Iraqi Security Force headquarters elements , '' it said . According to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity , the first wave of airstrikes was intended to hit about a dozen preplanned targets . Tikrit , best known to Westerners as the birthplace of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein , fell in June to ISIS , which has captured large areas of Iraq and Syria for what it says is its Islamic caliphate . On March 1 , al-Abadi ordered Iraqi forces to retake Tikrit and Salaheddin province . There have been several failed attempts to recapture Tikrit since the second half of 2014 . If Iraq regains control of the city , it could mean that retaking Mosul -- a city 10 times bigger -- is possible . CNN 's Barbara Starr contributed to this report .
`` These strikes are intended to destroy ISIL strongholds with precision , '' U.S. general says . Coalition is providing help asked for by Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi .