US troops and Iraqi security forces entered the northern city of Samarra for the first time in months yesterday in order to reseat the city council and regain control, the military said in a statement.
The troops that entered also aim to conduct an assessment of the police stations, the statement said.
In a city council meeting yesterday, the interim mayor and acting police chief of Samarra were put into place until the general elections expected by January.
Local leaders in the Salahuddin province, of which Samarra is the provincial capital, and the US 1st Infantry Division have taken necessary steps to restore normalcy to the city, the statement said.
Despite the formal end of the US occupation on June 28, the interim Iraqi government lost control over key Sunni cities such as Fallujah, Ramadi and Samarra.
The commander of the US 1st Infantry Division said recently that his troops and their Iraqi allies would regain control of Samarra before Iraq's general election.
The troops that entered the city will have joint traffic control points in the city and will also open the Samarra Bridge, the statement said.
