SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Some Iraqis displaced from Tikrit returned June 15 in a positive sign for the struggle against the Islamic State (IS). A true victory will see not only the land freed, but also its residents returned and restored to normal life.
However, the return of these people is still in its initial stages and other areas' residents are awaiting action by the government and the security forces. These areas include Jurf al-Sakhar to the south of Baghdad — renamed Jurf al-Nasr after being freed from IS in October 2014 — and the towns of Jalula and Saadiya, as well as a number of regions such as Salahuddin and Albu-Ajeel.