Iraq ‘could take Tikrit in a week’
Pro-government Shia militias battling to oust Islamic State from Tikrit tell the BBC they hope to retake the Iraqi city within a week. BBC News – Middle East
Pro-government Shia militias battling to oust Islamic State from Tikrit tell the BBC they hope to retake the Iraqi city within a week. BBC News – Middle East
Iraqi government forces are pushing into Tikrit on several fronts, forcing Islamic State militants to fall back to the city centre, officials say. BBC News – Middle East
Aid agencies say the UN has failed to implement resolutions meant to protect Syrian civilians, and that civilians have suffered their “worst year” yet. BBC News – Middle East
Iraqi forces retake parts of the city of Tikrit from Islamic State (IS) militants, Iraqi officials say, as a major government offensive continues. BBC News – Middle East
A record-breaking attempt to fly around the world in five months in a solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse-2, gets under way in Abu Dhabi. BBC News – Middle East
Islamic State militants are destroying the ruins of the ancient city of Hatra, according to Iraq’s tourism and antiquities ministry. BBC News – Middle East