Iraqi forces have reclaimed Tikrit after a brief boycott over US air strikes resulted in fighters leaving the battlefield. 

The Iraqi government announced Wednesday that Tikrit has been taken from the Islamic State (IS) calling the win a "magnificent victory."

"We will reopen police stations to restore normalcy in the city, and we will form committees to supervise the return of people displaced from their homes," Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghabban told reporters. "Most of Tikrit today is liberated, only small parts remain [outside our control]."

UN Special Representative Jan Kubis called the success in Tikrit a "victory for all the Iraqi people." Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was photographed waving an Iraqi flag in a central part of the city. 

The offensive to retake Tikrit began in early March, but did not gain momentum until the US began air strikes in the area last week. 

The bombings were halted after the Popular Mobilisation (Hashid Shaabi) Shiite militia protested the attacks. The Popular Mobilisation made up about two-thirds of the 30,000 fighters pitted against IS, and are backed by Iran.

"It's our country, and we should liberate it," Moeenal-Kadhimi, the head of the Popular Mobilisation committee on Baghdad's provincial council, said. 

Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia spokesman Naim al-Abboudi said the militias received assurances from the prime minister that the air strikes would cease, opening the door for the men to resume fighting. 

After retaking the city, the fighters worked to clear mines and bombs, and to clear the northern district of Qadisiya. The government forces also hope to reclaim the city of Mosul, which has been overrun by IS in the past year. 

The UN announced Wednesday that at least 997 people, including 729 civilians, were killed in March - a drop from February.