BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces today launched an assault to retake the northern city of Tal Afar from the Islamic State group, after ousting the jihadists from Mosul last month.Tal Afar lies around 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of second city Mosul, which Iraqi forces recaptured in early July in a major blow to the jihadists.In a televised speech early Sunday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, dressed in military uniform and standing in front of an Iraqi flag and map of the country, announced "the start of an operation to free Tal Afar". "I am saying to Daesh that there's no choice other than to leave or be killed," he said, using an alternative acronym for IS. "We have won all our battles, and Daesh have always lost," he said, telling his troops: "The entire world is with you. "Several hours after the start of the battle, the federal police said it had retaken the village of Al-Abra al-Sghira west of Tal Afar.IS jihadists in June 2014 overran Tal Afar, a Shiite enclave in the predominantly Sunni province of Nineveh, on the road between Mosul and Syria At the time, it had a population of around 200,000. "In the early hours, the guns and flags turned towards their targets," said Hashed spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi.

Source: Economic Times August 20, 2017 11:15 UTC