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SAMARRA, Iraq — Driving from Baghdad to Samarra in Salahuddin province, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Baghdad, has been safer since the Iraqi forces managed on Nov. 25, 2014, to secure the road that links the two cities. Islamic State (IS) militants had controlled the road since June 11, 2014, when they took control of a number of regions in Salahuddin, most notably the city of Tikrit, the center of the province.
Al-Monitor visited Samarra and its famous 171-foot-tall Malwiya Minaret. The Great Mosque of Samarra and its spiral tower that is set on a square base were built in 852.
