Iraqi city Tal Afar 'fully liberated' from Islamic State

Iraqi forces have "fully liberated" the city of Tal Afar
from Islamic State, the country's prime minister has
said.
Haider al Abadi said the militant group had been
"eliminated and smashed" in the area, after forces
took the town of al Ayadiya - about 10 miles north of
the city.
The victory means that all of Nineveh province is
under Iraqi control, he added.
Tal Afar sits on a main road between Islamic State's
strongholds in eastern Syria and northern cities in
Iraq and is considered strategically important.
Iraqi forces pounded IS fighters with mortars
Up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending
Tal Afar against around 50,000 government troops
last week. It is unclear how many fell back to al
Ayadiya.
Pictures have emerged of women and children - the
families of IS militants - who have handed
themselves over to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in the
area.
Iraqi troops and coalition planes - which took part in
the battle for Tal Afar - are now gearing up to retake
Hawija, the last major city in northern Iraq held by IS.
Iraqi forces flash the victory sign ahead of the
advance towards al Ayadiya
Mr Abadi said in a statement: "To Daesh (IS)
criminals we say: Wherever you are, we will come to
liberate, and you have to choose only death or
surrender."
British forces last took part in the battle for Tal Afar
on 17 August, according to the Ministry of Defence,
when RAF Tornados and Typhoons fired missiles that
destroyed sniper, machine gun and mortar teams.
The Tal Afar victory marks a significant turnaround
from 18 months ago when large swathes of the Iraq,
including its second city Mosul, were under IS rule.
Families of IS militants have surrendered to
Kurdish Peshmerga forces
Now, the only territory held by the terror group in Iraq
is around Hawija and across a band of desert around
the towns of Qaim, Rawa and Ana.
IS also controls a large area of eastern Syria, along
the border with Iraq, as well as parts of Raqqa, the
Syrian capital of the group's self-styled caliphate.
Rebel Syrian forces are also attempting to take
Raqqa, backed by a US-led coalition that includes the
UK.
Iraqi officials have been known to declare areas
liberated before fighting has completely finished.
Militants also frequently carry out surprise
counterattacks.
The Tal Afar operation began nearly two weeks ago
and the apparent victory came about sooner than
expected.
The coalition praised what it called a "stunning
victory", but warned that "dangerous work remains",
checking for booby traps, identifying IS fighters and
eliminating its holdouts.

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