Tikrit (Arabic: تِكْرِيت Tikrīt [ˈtɪkriːt], Syriac: ܬܲܓܪܝܼܬܼ Tagrīṯ) is a city in Iraq, located 140 kilometres (87 mi) northwest of Baghdad and 220 kilometres (140 mi) southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. As of 2012, it had a population of approximately 160,000. Originally a fort during the Assyrian empire, Tikrit became the birthplace of Muslim military leader Saladin. It also is the birthplace of Saddam Hussein and also the city from where a significant portion of those he appointed in government roles originated during the time of Ba'athist Iraq until the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. After the invasion, the city has been the site of conflict, culminating in the Second Battle of Tikrit from March through April 2015, which resulted in the displacement of 28,000 civilians. The Iraqi government regained control of the city from the Islamic State on March 31, 2015 and has been at peace since then.