UPDATED: 302 militants killed, 31 areas retaken in Tal Afar: command
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Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Operations by Iraqi government forces and allied paramilitary troops in Tal Afar have left 302 Islamic State militants dead and managed to recapture 31 areas, the Joint Operations Command said Thursday.
Those were the achievement on the field since Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the start of operations to retake IS’s last stronghold in Nineveh on August 20th, according to the JOC’s spokesperson, Brig. Gen Yahia Rasoul.
Up to 2000 Islamic State fighters are believed to remain in Tal Afar, said Rasoul during a conference at the Defense Ministry’s office in Baghdad with Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesperson of the U.S.-led coalition against IS.
Coalition forces killed 102 militants and carried out 75 air raids since the start of Tal Afar operations, Dillon said.
Also on Thursday, the pro-government militias, the Popular Mobilization Forces, said through their media that mobilization and Federal Police forces invaded al-Wahda district, another area northwest of Tal Afar. They had also reported the recapture of al-Basatin neighborhood at the east.
Hours earlier, Federal Police chief Shaker Jawdat had said his forces killed 50 militants invading al-Kefah al-Shamali.
Over the past few days, Iraqi field commanders reported progress on the ground, saying government and paramilitary troops had reached the center of the town. Military media said Wednesday that forces told militants through loudspeakers to either surrender or face death.
The United Nations says 40.000 civilians had fled the town while 30.000 are believed to be stranded inside.
The Iraqi government plans to wage further offensives at other IS holdouts in Anbar, Kirkuk and Salahuddin once it is done with the recapture of Tal Afar, which commanders predict to be achieved soon.