Twenty nine Islamic State militants killed near Tal Afar
Iraqi army forces in Tal Afar, wsst of Nineveh.
In press remarks made on Tuesday, Maj.General Imad al-Silawi, a commander in Iraqi army, said troops liberated tens of villages in the mountain areas in west and north of Aiyadhiya region, located 11 kilometers away from Tal Afar.
Earlier on the day, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, commander of Tal Afar Operations, announced liberation of Qulabash village, indicating ongoing advance in Aiyadhiya, which was invaded on Tuesday, after field commanders said they had taken full control over Tal Afar’s districts.
The War Media Cell announced, earlier on Wednesday, preparations to declare the end of operations in Tal Afar and the approach of the launch of offensives for Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk.
Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi announced in a televised speech on August 20 the beginning of operations to recapture Tal Afar, which has been held by the militants since 2014, when the extremist group first emerged to proclaim its self-styled ‘caliphate’. This came after 40 days of declaring victory in Mosul, the group’s former capital, where operations lasted between October to July.
The United Nations says more than 30.000 were displaced as operations launched for the enclave.