The United States is not providing airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in the latest offensive by Iraqi forces to retake the city of Tikrit because the U.S. was not asked for the assistance by Iraq, said a Pentagon spokeswoman.
According to the Washington Times, Pentagon's Navy Cmdr. Elissa Smith said that the battle is Iraq's own that all US airstrikes are conducted in coordination with the Iraqi forces.
The Iraqi forces are backed by Iraqi jets with no involvement of U.S. airstrikes.
The government troops have retaken the two districts of al-Tin, near Tikrit university north-east of the city, and the district of al-Abeid, in the west.
