The mausoleum in the village of al-Awja that used to house the tomb of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been destroyed. The burial ground is one of the collateral damage in the fighting near Tikrit as Iraqi forces and the Iran-backed Shia militia join forces to drive the Islamic State (IS) from Tikrit.

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However, before the tomb was destroyed, the corpse of Saddam was removed in 2014 and brought to a secret location, said locals, reports BBC.

The mausoleum is now a concrete rubble, while photos of the strongman that covered the burial ground were replaced by militia flags of Shia and images of their leads, including that of Shia militias' adviser Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

The IS put up a strong fight to keep Tikrit. Part of their strategy was to leave behind booby traps and bombs, according to BBC.

In August, the IS said that residents destroyed Saddam's tomb, but according to local officials it was only burgled and sustained minor damage. The tomb featured a marble octagon with fresh flowers at the center.

Saddam is from Tikrit. He was captured by US forces in 2003, while an Iraqi tribunal found him guilty of crimes against humanity for the death of Shia Muslims and Kurds. The strongman was hanged in 2006 and his body was placed in the mausoleum since 2007.

The IS seized Tikrit in June. Iraqi officials see the recapture of the key city from the hands of the IS as an important move to further take back from the extremist Islamic terrorist group other territories, including Mosul, the second-largest Iraqi city.

CNN reports that it is not clear which side destroyed Saddam's mausoleum. While the IS has destroyed priceless ancient statues in Mosul and bulldozed the ruins of Nineveh and Hatra, the ancient city of Babylon is outside its control.

TagsSaddam Hussein, Tikrit