ABU ALJIL, Iraq: Thousands of Iraqi forces laid siege to jihadists holed up in Tikrit Thursday but the Islamic State group shrugged off setbacks by welcoming Nigeria's Boko Haram group into its "caliphate".
After making major gains in and around the city Wednesday, commanders were confident that Baghdad's biggest victory yet against IS was only a matter of time.
"Now we are moving to the second phase of our plan," Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi told reporters in Salaheddin province, of which Tikrit is the capital.
"We are very keen for our losses to be as low as possible. Time is on our side, we have the initiative," he said on the 11th day of the offensive.
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