The mausoleum containing the remains of Saddam Hussein has been leveled during heavy fighting in the Tikrit area. The tomb, which is in the town of Awja, was looted last summer, but the structure itself suffered extensive damage this week. The body was removed by loyalists to an unknown location last year, before the militants reached the town.
Although Baghdad has not publicly responded to Kurdish claims that Islamic State militants are weaponizing chlorine for use in bombs, Mayor Laith al-Jubouri, said that security forces had discovered chlorine bombs and a chlorine cache in Alam. He believes militants had gathered the chlorine from water facilities in the Tikrit region.
Coalition airstrikes would help in the fight for Tikrit, according to Staff Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, who asked the government to request coalition support. He says U.S. forces have better equipment than the Iraqis, who have been accused of accidentally targeting pro-government forces. The battle advanced quickly at first, but now is stalled due to booby-trapping of roads and buildings by the militants.
At least 184 were killed and 244 were wounded.
In Tikrit, a Sunni fighting alongside Shi’ite militiamen said that the militants had killed 16 members of his family. On Friday, clashes near the Tikrit hospital killed left three soldiers dead and four wounded.
At least 31 more bodies were found in a mass grave in Bashir, bringing the total to 50 dead. Thirteen security members were killed and 110 more were wounded in the fighting that liberated the area.
In Baghdad, a bomb killed three people and wounded six more in Doura, where three dumped bodies were also found. Two people were killed and 12 were wounded in Bab al-Sham. In Atifiya, two people were killed and seven were wounded in a blast. Security forces killed 23 militants and wounded 37 more.
One person was killed and two more were wounded during a mortar attack on al-Bareid.
Mortars wounded 11 civilians in Ramadi. The number of casualties in a bombing targeting soldiers on Saturday was revised by eight more dead and 12 wounded; only two deaths had been reported earlier. A car bomb killed 23 people and wounded 43 more.
In Mosul, 11 people were executed. Militants beheaded four of their own colleagues.
In Garma, 20 militants were killed.
Security forces killed eight militants in al-Fatah.
Five militants were killed in Jazirat al-Khalediyah.
Three militiamen were killed by a suicide bomber in Samarra.
Security forces in Mtabijh killed three militants.
A suicide bomber was killed in Daquq.
In Dujail, an American sniper was killed.
An airstrike killed dozens of militants in Ramadi.
