(MENAFN) Iraqi forces supported by local militia and U.S.-led coalition were poised to drive the IS group from the city of Tal Afar.
Meanwhile, the operation comes just weeks after Iraqi forces retook second city Mosul from IS, in their biggest victory since the jihadists seized control of huge parts of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014.
However, the loss of Tal Afar, will deprive IS of what was once a notable hub for movement between the Syrian and Iraqi components for the caliphate it declared three years ago.
In addition, government troops and units of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition launched the assault after weeks of coalition and Iraqi air strikes.
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