Baghdad: Iraqi forces brace for a major offensive to retake control of Tikrit city, as the troops continued to battle insurgent groups across the country, security sources said on Tuesday.

The security forces have been holding control over the perimeter and entrances of Tikrit, 170 km north of the Baghdad, after seizing the areas around the city like Uojah town, lying south of Tikrit, Xinhua reported citing the Iraqi military spokesman Qassim Atta as saying in Baghdad.