In Iraq, the military operation to regain control of Tikrit is about to arrive. This is certainly the view of the Iraqi Minister of Defense.
This town just over 150 kilometers north of Baghdad was in the hands of the Islamic state group fighters. And the Iraqi army supported by Shiite militias launched a major offensive there almost 2 weeks. The city is now surrounded and about to fall.
Still, the jihadists want to talk about setbacks. "Day after day, the Islamic state is strong," even said a spokesman for the organization said in a message broadcast on the internet.
In fact, the jihadists prefer to highlight the rallying group Boko Haram. The Islamist group has gained ground in recent months in the north-eastern Nigeria. Last Saturday, the leader of Boko Haram announced allegiance to the Islamic State.
