Baghdad: Iraqi forces claimed to have seized the city of Tikrit from Islamic State militants on Tuesday after US-led airstrikes cleared the way for ground operations, an advance that would mark the government's most significant victory over the extremists since their summer blitz.

In a televised address, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that Tikrit had been liberated after security forces and "popular mobilisation units," a grouping of pro-government fighters that includes Iranian-backed Shiite militias, made rapid inroads into the city. However, military officials said some areas of the city were yet to be entered because roads and buildings were heavily rigged with explosives — raising the possibility that some militants remain.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi tours the city of Tikrit after it was retaken by the Iraqi security forces. Credit:AP

The recapture of Tikrit, about 177 km northwest of Baghdad, would constitute the first time that Iraqi security forces have wrested back a major population center from the militant group, boosting hopes for an offensive targeting the larger city of Mosul.

But it also highlighted the inability of Iraqi forces to advance without the support of precision airstrikes. The month-long battle to secure the city, which initially relied on Iranian advisers and left the United States out of the planning, had stalled until US-led coalition strikes helped pave the way for a ground offensive.