story correct third paragraph show mosul fell july june nine eight months urban warfare august 29th instance ahmed rasheed baghdad iraqi force battle retake small town al- ayadiya militants flee tal afar entrench say tuesday fight multiple time bad battle mosul old city hundreds battle-hardened fighters position inside house high build inside town make difficult government force make progress army officer tell reuters iraqi government troop capture town mosul islamic state july nine months grind urban warfare one iraqi officer colonel kareem al-lami describe breach militants first line defense al- ayadiya like open gate hell iraqi force recent days recapture almost northwestern city tal afar long stronghold islamic state wait take al- ayadiya 11 km miles northwest city declare complete victory tough resistance militants al- ayadiya force iraqi force increase number air strike well bring reinforcements federal police boost units army air force federal police elite u.s.-trained counter-terrorism service cts units shi ite popular mobilization force pmf 2,000 battle-hardened militants believe defend tal afar around 50,000 government troop last week military intelligence indicate many militants flee tal afar mount staunch defense al- ayadiya many motorcycle carry islamic state insignia see abandon side road outside al- ayadiya though exact number militants grind al- ayadiya still unclear al-lami iraqi army colonel estimate hundreds daesh islamic state fighters hundreds take position inside almost every single house town say sniper shots mortar heavy machine gun anti-armored projectiles fire every single house add think battle mosul old city tough one prove multiple time bad al-lami say face tough fighters nothing lose ready die two army officer tell reuters significant advance yet make al- ayadiya say wait artillery air strike undermine militants power extra federal police troop call say late tuesday control 50 percent town deploy snipers high build intensify shell militants headquarter rocket federal police spokesman say statement tal afar become next target u.s.-backed war jihadist group follow recapture mosul declare caliphate part iraq syria 2014 'gates hell iraqi army say fight near tal afar bad mosul