Iraq ’s largest offensive against Islamic State militants came a step closer to the city of Tikrit on Friday, with Shiite militiamen and Iraqi troops advancing into the town of Dour, according to Iraqi state television. Dour, just south of Tikrit, is home to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest-ranking member of Saddam Hussein’s government who was never captured after the 2003 American-led invasion. A prominent figure in the ruling Baath Party, he went on to make common cause with Islamist insurgents against American occupying troops and is now believed to be an ally of the Islamic State. Despite setbacks in some villages over the past four days, the Islamic State fighters have managed to hold on to Tikrit, using suicide attacks and roadside bombs to augment their defense against a pro-government force of at least 30,000, most of them from Iranian-backed Shiite militias. The militias have played […]