Militants belonging to ISIS Group captured Tikrit

Tikrit: captured by ISIS

Tikrit in Iraq was in news because it was captured by the Militants belonging to Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) group on 10 June 2014. Tikrit is the home town of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

ISIS had already captured Mosul as well as other towns and cities north of Baghdad. Mosul is Iraq’s second largest city.

Comment

ISIS militants want to create a strict Sunni Caliphate on both sides of the Iraq-Syria border. The rapid advances of ISIS militants have led to increase in the global oil benchmark by 2 dollars as ISIS militants have overrun the town of Baiji. The town of Baiji is the site of main oil refinery which meets Iraq’s domestic demand for fuel.

Further the stunning advance of ISIS militants and the fleeing of Iraqi soldiers have raised questions over US war in Iraq and Afghanistan. These developments have emerged as the biggest threats to Iraq since US troops withdrew in 2011.

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