The Iraqi government says the self-described Islamic State has been defeated in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit. This has been seen as a crucial step in efforts to retake other areas from Sunni-led ISIS militants who swept across Iraq and Syria last summer.
NPR’s Alice Fordham speaks with Here & Now’s Robin Young from Baghdad about the trips she’s taken this week to Tikrit.
Fordham says that in the battle for the city, Iraqi forces fought alongside Shiite militias who were backed by Iran, and there’s some concern that old sectarian tensions could explode again in Tikrit in the aftermath of the fighting there.
Guest
- Alice Fordham, international correspondent for NPR. She tweets @AliceFordham.
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