WASHINGTON — At Iraq’s request, the U.S. began airstrikes in Tikrit on Wednesday in support of a stalled Iraqi ground offensive to retake the city from Islamic State fighters, a senior U.S. official said.
The airstrikes were “ongoing,” the official said without providing details. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the attacks had not yet been officially announced.
An Associated Press correspondent in Tikrit reported hearing warplanes overhead late Wednesday, followed by multiple explosions.
Iraq began the Tikrit ground offensive in early March without requesting U.S. air support, even as it welcomed help from Iran.
In an address to the nation Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi predicted success in Tikrit but did not say the U.S. was providing airstrikes.