ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraqi forces have reached the city centre of Tal Afar, in the area of the Ottoman-era citadel, making advancements in a number of areas and bringing the total number of liberated neighbourhoods to five.
Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, commander of the ‘We are Coming Tal Afar’ offensive, announced Friday evening that the Iraqi Army's 35th armored brigade, 9th division and the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi's 2nd brigade have liberated al-Orouba 1 neighborhood and are advancing to al-Orouba 2.
The War Media Cell also announced Friday evening that troops have reached the city center.
As of early Friday, Iraqi forces had recaptured Nida', al-Nasr, Saad, and Taliaa around the Ottoman-era citadel, according to the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
In addition, security investigation teams were able to discover two mass graves in Badoush containing the bodies of 500 prisoners killed by ISIS. One contained 30 and the other 470, according to a military statement.
Around Tal Afar, Iraqi forces have retaken some 30 villages, Rudaw’s correspondent on the ground Sidad Lashkiri reported.
Fighter jets and artillery units have been warned not to bomb civilian-populated neighborhoods with heavy weapons.
"We believe there are a large number of people inside the town according to specific information we have received from inside the town," an army official told Rudaw.
An estimated 10,000 to 50,000 civilians are believed to still be living under ISIS control in Tal Afar and the surrounding areas, according to coalition figures. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported it received more than 3,000 civilians in the first days of the offensive with thousands more expected to flee. Many had only the clothes they were wearing. Some were severely malnourished after months of inadequate food supplies in the besieged city.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the commencement of operations by security forces to retake Tal Afar, which has a large Turkmen population as well as Arabs and Kurds.
The US-trained Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), Federal Police, the Rapid Response Force, Iraqi Army, and Hashd al-Shaabi are taking part in the operation with the backing of the coalition.
Tal Afar has served as a key ISIS route between Iraq and Syria since 2014 and is the last major centre in northwestern Iraq still controlled by the terrorist group.
Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, commander of the ‘We are Coming Tal Afar’ offensive, announced Friday evening that the Iraqi Army's 35th armored brigade, 9th division and the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi's 2nd brigade have liberated al-Orouba 1 neighborhood and are advancing to al-Orouba 2.
The War Media Cell also announced Friday evening that troops have reached the city center.
As of early Friday, Iraqi forces had recaptured Nida', al-Nasr, Saad, and Taliaa around the Ottoman-era citadel, according to the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
In addition, security investigation teams were able to discover two mass graves in Badoush containing the bodies of 500 prisoners killed by ISIS. One contained 30 and the other 470, according to a military statement.
Around Tal Afar, Iraqi forces have retaken some 30 villages, Rudaw’s correspondent on the ground Sidad Lashkiri reported.
Fighter jets and artillery units have been warned not to bomb civilian-populated neighborhoods with heavy weapons.
"We believe there are a large number of people inside the town according to specific information we have received from inside the town," an army official told Rudaw.
An estimated 10,000 to 50,000 civilians are believed to still be living under ISIS control in Tal Afar and the surrounding areas, according to coalition figures. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported it received more than 3,000 civilians in the first days of the offensive with thousands more expected to flee. Many had only the clothes they were wearing. Some were severely malnourished after months of inadequate food supplies in the besieged city.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the commencement of operations by security forces to retake Tal Afar, which has a large Turkmen population as well as Arabs and Kurds.
The US-trained Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), Federal Police, the Rapid Response Force, Iraqi Army, and Hashd al-Shaabi are taking part in the operation with the backing of the coalition.
Tal Afar has served as a key ISIS route between Iraq and Syria since 2014 and is the last major centre in northwestern Iraq still controlled by the terrorist group.
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