Displaced families in Iraq are returning home to the city of Tikrit, which was�once under the control of�the Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

Officials from the province of Salahuddin, where the city is located, told reporters on Tuesday that nearly half of the residents that had fled the city have now returned.

The northern city was cleared by the Iraqi army, backed by volunteer forces, about four months ago.

The displaced people had to stay in makeshift camps or abandoned buildings around Tikrit for months.�Over 19,000 people have returned to Tikrit since April.

Located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad, Tikrit was seized by Daesh terrorists last summer along with Iraq�s second-largest city of Mosul and some other areas in the Arab country�s Sunni heartland.�The city has a strategic position as it sits on the road to Mosul.

Almost all the residents of the city fled after it fell into the hands of the terrorists. Many people including men, women, and children were forced to stay in makeshift camps or abandoned buildings outside of the city for months.

In April, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the liberation of Tikrit from the hands of Daesh following weeks of intense fighting.

The Iraqi army, backed by volunteer forces, has managed to drive Daesh�terrorists out of many areas they seized last year.

The recapture of Tikrit was crucial for the Iraqi army in its quest to take back control of Mosul.

By Press TV