Militants push into Sunni heartland

Al-Qaida-inspired militants have pushed deeper into Iraq’s Sunni heartland, conquering Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit as soldiers and security forces yielded ground once controlled by US forces.

The advance into former insurgent strongholds that had largely been calm before the Americans withdrew less than three years ago is fuelling fears that Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, struggling to hold onto power after indecisive elections, will be unable to stop the Islamic militants as they press closer to Baghdad.