AFP reports Iraqi forces entered the Daesh-held city of Tikrit on Wednesday.
A senior officer told AFP, "we are now doing combat missions to cleanse the neighborhood of Qadisiyah."
"We were able to control Tikrit military hospital, which is close to the center of the city," he said.
"But we are engaging in a very delicate battle because we are not facing fighters on the ground, we are facing booby-trapped terrain and sniper fire. Our movement is slow," the source said.
Iraqi forces and allies have been attacking Daesh from the city's periphery over the past ten days, but this is the first time they have directly entered the strategic city.
