stephaniestephanie dekker reports. >> reporter: this is northeastern tikrit. the iraqi army are trying to push isil out of the city. >> we want to tell the iraqi people that tikrit will be liberated and retaken from isil terrorist groups. they started to retake the city to liberate it from isil groups. from there we shall advance to mosul. >> a freelance journalist shot this footage interior al jazeera on wednesday. tikrit is controlled by isil. the city is on the highway linking baghdad to mosul further north, which is isil's stronghold in iraq. progress has been slow because of boobie traps and. >> despite my injury and called by my commander to leave the battle i told him i would not leave. hopefully we'll take the city today. so far we're in control and we have the upper hand with no casualties as of yet. just slight injuries. >> but there are fears if tikrit falls, militia will take revenge on sunni population who have been seen as collaborators of isil. the iraqi army is the majority shia. there are around sunni tribesmen involved in this offensive. tikr