ISIS recruitment official dies
Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) A senior recruitment officer with the Islamic State was killed Tuesday as Iraqi forces, backed by paramilitary troops, entered a third day of operations to retake the town of Tal Afar, the group’s last stronghold in Nineveh province.
Intelligence sources told Shafaq News website that Abu Qatada al-Afri was killed in an airstrike while being in a group headquarter in central Tal Afar. Four other companions were also killed in the raid, said the sources.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared early Sunday the launch of operations to recapture the enclave where military commanders believe up to 2000 fighters are bunkered.
Over the past two days, Iraqi field commanders reported remarkable victories, saying government and paramilitary troops continue to advance towards the center of the town.
On Tuesday, the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces said through their media that troops advanced towards the center of the town from the southeast. They also reported encounters in the south at al-Jazirah and “silo” regions.
Federal Police chief Shaker Jawdat said also that his forces took over 20 kilometers of Tal Afar, and began bombarding Kefah, Wahda and al-Saad regions on the western side of the town preparing to invade them.
The United Nations said at least 40.000 civilians fled the town since the start of operations.
Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul, Islamic State’s former capital, early July, marking an effective collapse of the group’s self-proclaimed “caliphate”.
Following Tal Afar, the Iraqi government eyes the few remaining IS havens in Anbar, Kirkuk and Salahuddin.
Iraqi troops enter central Tal Afar
Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi forces reached Tuesday the center of Tal Afar as operations heighten to retake the group’s last bastion in Nineveh province.
The Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said army troops, backed by the Popular Mobilization Forces, invaded the center of Tal Afar from the eastern direction and continue their advances.
Earlier on Tuesday, Badr Organization’s brigades, a component of the Popular Mobilization Forces, said through their media they took over Tarmi neighborhood, northwest of the enclave, in a joint effort with the government’s Federal Police forces.
The media service said troops circumvented a concrete barricade erected by the militants around the area, and seized several medium arms and rockets during their advance.
The WMC had also said army forces recaptured Teshtiya and Tal al-Samn villages, as well as al-Kasak oil refinery east of Tal Afar.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared early Sunday the launch of operations to recapture the enclave where military commanders believe up to 2000 fighters are bunkered.
Over the past two days, Iraqi field commanders reported remarkable victories, saying government and paramilitary troops continue to advance towards the center of the town.
Also on Tuesday, Altaghier.TV quoted a source at the Iraqi army’s 16th division’s artillery forces saying that U.S. artillery began bombarding Islamic State locations in Tal Afar as part of the Iraqi campaign. The bombardment launched from the military base recently erected by the U.S. forces in Kahriz, near Tal Afar. It targeted IS defenses in al-Nour, al-Sarai, al-Nasr and al-Jazirah regions in the south.
Iraqi forces smoke 25 ISIS Bad Guys
Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi forces and paramilitary troops killed 25 Islamic State militants and foiled a drone attack as they gained more ground in Tal Afar, the group’s last entrenchment in Nineveh province.
The pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces’ media service said troops fully recaptured the districts of al-Kefah in the northwest and al-Nour in the southeast of the town.
Aljournal News website said the Interior Ministry’s Rapid Response Forces killed 15 IS members and detonated 12 explosive devices planted by the group in al-Kefah and Mulla Jassem regions, southwest of the town.
PMF media also said in a statement they killed ten militants in al-Khadraa district in the southeast, and detonated a booby-trapped vehicle driven by a suicide bomber before he attacked troops in the area.
Anadolu Agency also quoted Cap. Qusai al-Zawbai, from the Iraqi army, saying troops shot down a drone guided by the militants and supplied with two rockets before it attacked forces in the southern axis of operations.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared early Sunday the launch of operations to recapture the enclave where military commanders believe up to 2000 fighters are bunkered.
Over the past two days, Iraqi field commanders reported remarkable victories, saying government and paramilitary troops continue to advance towards the center of the town.
Iraqi military media said earlier on Tuesday that troops invaded the center of the town from the east.
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.