Military regroups
The Iraqi military achieves a stalemate with ISIS and makes some minor advances in areas north of Baghdad as the government attempts to rebuild the capacity of the armed forces. Fighting outside Tikrit, 87 miles (140km) north of Baghdad, comes as Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issue recruiting calls for Shiite civilians. Al-Maliki assesses the security forces:
The Iraqi fighter is well known for his courage and valor, he has never been known to be defeated or deserted […] What happened in Mosul was a conspiracy and a connivance.