Army announces Tal Affar is close to be liberated from extremists

The general command of the Kurdish Peshmerga said 130 Islamic State militants were killed after fleeing Tal Afar town toward Syria. In a statement on Tuesday, the command said “after the militants were defeated in Tal Afar and Aiyadhiya, they attempted fleeing toward Syria.”

“After fierce battles over the past 72 hours, 130 militants were killed,” the statement said, adding that bodies of the militants are still being searched for. On Monday, Peshmerga troops announced arresting 200 militants who were hiding among displaced civilians fleeing Tal Afar.

Earlier on Monday, the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces, along with the army forces, managed to take over “Ayyadiya farms” and “Mohaled al-Khalaf” farmlands, east and south of the region where Iraqi commanders say the remaining militants are besieged.

The troops also repelled an attack near Aiyadhiya killing four militants and captivating twelve others. 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.

Seven Islamic State militants were killed while trying to escape from northwestern Mosul, a security source said. Speaking to Baghdad Today, the source said, “seven Arab IS gunmen, attempted escaping through al-Yaarabiya region, northwest of Mosul.” “All of them were killed by the Iraqi border guards,” he added.

In Late June, Iraqi troops took over the Old City’s Nuri al-Kabir Mosque, where IS supreme leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi first declared the proclaimed caliphate covering parts of Iraq and Syria. Later on July 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014. More than 25000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October.

Since the city was declared free, security troops continue to comb western Mosul areas for hidden IS cells. Despite declaring the victory over IS there in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.

Earlier this month, troops launched offensive to recapture Tal Afar ton, the last IS bastion in Nineveh province. Other IS havens in Anbar, Kirkuk and Salahuddin are expected to be targeted by the iraqi government soon.

On the other hand, Iraqi military media said Wednesday the command was preparing to declare the end of operations against the Islamic State in Tal Afar, and the approach of the battle for the group’s Kirkuk holdout.

The War Media Cell said the command was preparing to declare the end of operations in Tal Afar, the militants’ last haven west of Nineveh, and the approach of the launch of offensives for Hawija, southwest of Kirkuk.

Earlier on Wednesday, air force officer Saad al-Waseti told Shafaq News that Iraqi warplanes killed eleven IS “war emirs” during a gathering near a cemetery in Ayyadiya,  northwest of Tal Afar, the last area where IS members have been besieged by Iraqi forces.

 Federal Police service chief, Lt. Gen. Shaker Jawdat, had also said his troops continued advances towards the center of Ayyadiya, and recaptured 50 percent of the region. Troops invaded Ayyadiya on Tuesday after field commanders said they had taken full control over Tal Afar’s districts.

The government declared the launch of Tal Afar operations on August 20th. Iraqi military commanders have reported daily advances and retaking of Islamic State-held territories since Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the launch of offensives.

Past operations by the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) had managed, until the end of June, to isolate Tal Afar from the Syrian borders and from the rest of Nineveh. The United Nations says more than 30.000 were displaced as operations launched for the enclave.