Following six days of intense battles, Iraqi forces announced a successful recapturing of 70% of Tal Afar, which was in the hands of ISIS forces and was the terrorist organization’s last stronghold in Northern Iraq. “The remaining parts will also be freed shortly,” said Iraq's Foreign Minister.
Iraqi forces are being assisted by aircrafts of the international coalition against ISIS, which struck ISIS militants in the Tal-Afar area, 150 km away from the border with Syria. The region is considered to be strategic for combating ISIS forces and the successful recapturing of most of it will cut off the terrorist group’s supplies arriving from and to Syria.
“The army’s special forces liberated the neighborhoods and raised the flag of Iraq on the rooftops,” said the government’s official statement.
Battle in Tal-Afar Photo Credit: Reuters/Channel 2 News
Approximately 1,400-1,600 ISIS fighters remain Tal-Afar and are taking part in the battles, including many foreign militants, while several senior commanders of the terror group fled the area.
Before the war in the region began, the number of residents was around 200 thousand; however, today it is estimated that only 10 to 20 thousand citizens remain.
The attack against ISIS began earlier this week. “You will surrender or die” warned Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, in a threatening message to the terrorists.
Last week, Lebanon based al-Manar station, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that the latter also began a joint operation with the Syrian army against ISIS forces in Syria near the Syrian-Lebanese border. On the Lebanese side of the border a similar operation against pockets of ISIS militants is being carried out by Lebanese forces, according to the Reuters News Agency.
Mutta epäilisin, että sortumisvaaraa voisi olla. Israelissa tykkään siitä, että talot on rakennettu jämäkästi (poisluettuna jotkut arabikylät) ja monissa on kellari/pommisuoja, joten perustukset on sen mukaiset.
