Al-Hashd al-Shaabi repel ISIS attack near Tal Afar
Al-Hashd al-Shaabi fighters.
It quoted the militia as saying that they had repelled the attack, killing a number of militants and blowing two trapped cars in the nearby area of Ein al-Hossan.
Tal Afar, 50 kilometers west of Mosul, is a vital target for Iraqi government and popular militia troops seeking to liberate Mosul from ISIS militants. The town, according to Iraqi security and militia commanders, had become isolated, depriving ISIS from supplies from Syria. Al-Hashd are reportedly preparing to storm the town’s center as part of a wide-scale operation to retake Mosul that launched in October.
Police forces said Saturday they were preparing to open a new front against ISIS in western Mosul, while Iraqi joint forces are still working to retake eastern districts towards the eastern shore of the Tigris River.