</s>Iraqi security soldiers have discovered a detention facility in the western flank of Tal Afar, which members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group used to incarcerate people and subject the detainees to various forms of torture.

The Arabic-language al-Sumaria satellite television network reported on Monday that government forces had found the prison in the recently-liberated al-Saad neighborhood of the city, located 63 kilometers west of Mosul.

The building incorporated several rooms, where Daesh extremists apparently used to hold civilians in captivity and torment them.

Iraqi security forces could recover dozens of boxes of tablets in addition to narcotics from the site.

Daesh had installed a comprehensive CCTV surveillance system across the building for the principal purposes of keeping an eye on the movements of the detainees.

Meanwhile, the media bureau of Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi, announced in a statement that soldiers from the 16th Division of the Iraqi Army had reclaimed control over Kharaj al-Asheq village southwest of al-‘Ayadiya district, which lies 11 kilometers northwest of Tal Afar.

Separately, Kurdish authorities said on Monday that Iraqi troops had found and rescued three Izadi women, whom Daesh extremists had been holding captive in Tal Afar.

Hussein Qaidi, an official from the Office of Kidnapped and Rescued Izadis’ Affairs in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk, said those released were a 40-year-old woman and two teenage girls aged 14 and 19.

Additionally, the head of Nineveh provincial municipalities department, Abdel Qader Dakhil, told Arabic-language al-Ghad Press that “the scope of damage in Tal Afar is too little”.

Dakhil added that municipal teams are awaiting military engineers to clear booby-trapped houses and defuse explosive devices so as to begin the reconstruction of Tal Afar.

On August 20, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, declared the start of an operation to retake control of Tal Afar and nearby areas from Daesh terrorists.

Tal Afar is the last Daesh stronghold in Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh.

Khaled al-Obaidi, the head of Nineveh provincial department of the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement, told al-Ghad Press news agency on Saturday that 10,000 people had fled Tal Afar to refugee camps south of Mosul.

Obaidi added that most of Tal Afar residents had fled towards Turkey, noting that many districts in the city had been deserted.</s>Iraqi troops and Shia militias marched into the heart of Tal Afar - REUTERS

Iraqi forces raised the national flag on Saturday in the heart of Tal Afar, Islamic State's stronghold in the country's northwest, and said they were poised to take full control of the city after a week-long offensive.

Tal Afar is the latest objective in the U.S.-backed war on the jihadist group following the recapture in July of Mosul, where it declared its self-proclaimed caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Tal Afar was cut off from the rest of IS-held territory in June and the campaign to recapture it started on August 20, when up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending it against around 50,000 attackers, according to western military sources.

"Tal Afar city is about to fall completely into the hands of our forces, only five percent remains" under Islamic State control, an Iraqi military spokesman told Reuters.

Elite forces had liberated the heart of the city "and raised the national flag on top of the citadel building," a statement from the Iraqi joint operations command said.

Much of the Ottoman-era building was destroyed by the militants in 2014.

Such a quick collapse of Islamic State in the city, which has been a breeding ground for jihadist groups, would confirm Iraqi military reports that the militants lack command and control structures west of Mosul.

A Reuters visuals team in Tal Afar said fighting had eased on Saturday, with just occasional artillery rounds heard. There were no sign of civilians in two neighborhoods it visited.

"God willing, the remaining part will be liberated soon," Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said earlier at a news conference with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and French Defence Minister Florence Parly, in Baghdad.

A map published by the joint operations command showed all of Tal Afar under army control barring one neighborhood on the northeast side where fighting was continuing.

The city, which had a pre-war population of about 200,000, lies on the supply route between Syria and Mosul, 80 km (50 miles) to the east.

It experienced cycles of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi'ites after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and has produced some of Islamic State's most senior commanders.

Mosul's collapse effectively marked the end of Islamic State's "caliphate", but the group remains in control of territory on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border, and of Hawija, a city between Mosul and Baghdad that Iraqi officials said would be the next target.

The group is also retreating in Syria, where it is facing two separate offensives, one backed by the U.S. and the other by Russia and Iran. An Iraqi Army, Russian built Mi-28 attack helicopter fires towards the position of the Islamic State group The number of civilians believed to have remained in Tal Afar at the start of the offensive was estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000 by the US military. Tens of thousands of people are believed to have fled in the weeks before the battle started. Those remaining were threatened with death by the militants, according to aid organisations and residents who managed to leave. On Tuesday, U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said residents were arriving at refugee camps starving and with wounds from sniper fire and mine explosions. Residents who fled Tal Afar seven days ago told Reuters on Saturday they had been surviving on bread and dirty water. "I lost 25kg in the last three months," said Hajji Abu Mohammad, who escaped last Saturday with his wife and five children.</s>Iraqi city of Tal Afar has been fully liberated from militants of Daesh terrorist group, Brig. Gen. Najim Jubouri told Sputnik on Saturday.

"On the [Tal Afar] city plan, nothing is left [seized by terrorists], the cleanup is underway," Jubouri said.

On August 20, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced that the Iraqi government forces started the military offensive aimed at retaking Tal Afar, which is located 30 miles away from recently liberated Mosul. The city is the last major Daesh stronghold near the Iraqi-Syrian border.</s>BAGHDAD/ERBIL
• Iraqi forces have retaken almost all of Tal Afar, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) stronghold in the country's north-west, the Iraqi military said yesterday.

After just eight days of fighting, all 29 neighbourhoods in Tal Afar city had been recaptured from the militant group, the military said in a statement yesterday.

Pro-government fighters could already be seen celebrating, flashing victory signs as their tanks rolled through the streets, waving Iraqi flags and taking down black ISIS banners from buildings and lamp posts.

However, fighting was ongoing in Al-Ayadiya, a small area 11km north-west of the city, where militants who fled the district's city centre were hiding out, Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool said.

Iraqi forces were waiting to retake the area before declaring complete victory in the offensive, he said.

Tal Afar was the latest objective in the US-backed war on the Islamist group following the recapture in July of Mosul, where ISIS declared its self-proclaimed "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The offensive on Tal Afar, which lies on the supply route between Syria and the former ISIS stronghold of Mosul, started on Aug 20.

Up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending the city against around 50,000 attackers, according to Iraqi and western military sources.

Such a quick collapse of ISIS in the city, which has been a breeding ground for Islamist groups, would confirm Iraqi military reports that the militants lack command and control structures west of Mosul.

The loss of Tal Afar, in northern Iraq between Mosul and the Syrian border, will also deprive ISIS of what was once a significant hub for movement between the Syrian and Iraqi components of the self-styled "caliphate".

Residents who fled Tal Afar days before the start of the offensive told Reuters that the militants looked "exhausted" and "depleted".

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have fled in the weeks before the battle started.

Remaining civilians were threatened with death by the militants, according to aid organisations and residents who managed to leave.

Tal Afar has experienced cycles of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi'ites after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and has produced some of ISIS' most senior commanders.

On Saturday, Iraqi forces reached Tal Afar's Ottoman-era citadel and took control of the city centre.

Government troops and units of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition launched the assault last Sunday after weeks of coalition and Iraqi air strikes.

Progress in Tal Afar has been far more rapid than in Mosul, which fell to Iraqi forces only after a gruelling nine-month battle.

Officials have said they hope to announce victory by Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday set to start in Iraq on Sept 2.

The next target in the area was the nearby town of Al-Ayadiya, strategically located on the road between the city and the Syrian border.

In the whole Tal Afar region, "1,155 sq km of 1,655 sq km, or 70 per cent of the area, have been taken", the joint operations command said late on Saturday.

Pro-government forces faced an obstacle course of roads blocked with earth embankments and strategically parked trucks, as well as sniper fire and mortar-shelling during the battle for Tal Afar.

Troops also said they discovered a network of underground tunnels used by ISIS to launch attacks behind lines of already conquered territory, or to escape.

Once Tal Afar is retaken, Baghdad is expected to launch a new offensive on Hawija, about 300km north of the Iraqi capital.

The coalition has announced strikes near Hawija in recent days, including two that killed ISIS fighters and destroyed a command post.</s>On Saturday, the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) liberated the center of Tal Afar town including the historical Tal Afar citadel from ISIS terrorists. Moreover, the Iraqi forces captured al-Qadisiah, Sa’ad, Kifah and al-Rabia’a districts in Tal Afar town.

A report of the Russian “Russia Today” news TV channel claimed that the Iraqi forces allowed 400 families of ISIS fighters to withdrew from Tal Afar. It’s still unknown if this was part of a deal between ISIS and the Iraqi forces.

Iraqi sources claimed that Iraqi forces captured 95% of Tal Afar area west of Mosul. However, these claims still have to be confirmed. It’s expected that the Iraqi forces will make more gains today as the ISIS defense in Tal Afar is collapsing.

On Friday, the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) captured al-Sa’ad and Second al-Wihdah districts in Tal Afar town in northern Iraq. With this move, government forces besieged dozens of ISIS fighters in Baghlar, al-Nida’a and Karki districts in the center of Tal Afar town.

Furthermore, the Iraqi forces captured al-Mushirfah, Murishah, al-Akabat and Tal Alan al-Kabir villages near al-Muhilibiah town east of Tal Afar. The Iraqi forces also captured the following areas:
• Al-Talia’a area in the center of Tal Afar area;

During its advance government forces killed 81 ISIS fighters and captured a large ISIS VBIED workshop in the center of Tal Afar area. The army and the PMU also captured a media center of ISIS and an ISIS depot and workshop for drones.

The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that ISIS fighters killed 13 PMU fighters during clashes on the Hasnkoy street near al-Nour district in the eastern part of Tal Afar town.

According to Iraqi sources ISIS begin relying mainly on VBIEDs and IEDs attacks and snipers to stop the Iraqi forces advance in Tal Afar town.

IRAQI ARMY AND POPULAR MOBILIZATION UNITS CAPTURE SEVEN NEW DISTRICTS IN TAL AFAR TOWN

On Thursday, the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) captured al-Khdra’a, al-Noor and al-Naser districts in the eastern part of Tal Afar town located west of Mosul.

The Iraqi forces also captured al-Wihdah and al-Mualimen districts in the northern part of the town, and al-Jazzera and Tal Khidr Elias districts in the southern part of Tal Afar.

Moreover, the the army and the PMU captured Qurahat Tabi village north of Tal Afar airport, and the road to the historical Tal Afar citadel.

The Iraqi forces killed 71 ISIS fighters during its advance, and destroyed 4 VBIEDs and 4 booby trapped motorcycles of ISIS. PMU artillery units and the Iraqi Air Force’s warplanes also destroyed several ISIS positions in the Tal Afar area.

The ISIS-linked news agency Amaq claimed that 16 Iraqi soldiers were killed after ISIS fighters detonated booby trapped houses in al-Naser district. Amaq also claimed that 9 vehicles of the PMU were destroyed with IEDs in al-Naser district.

A report of the PMU intelligence said that most ISIS fighters withdrew to al-Auruba and al-Talia’a district in the northern part of Tal Afar town, where they planted dozens of IEDs to stop the Iraqi forces advance.
• Iraqi military liberates half of Tal Afar as ISIL falls apart
• Iraqi Forces, PMF Engage in Fierce Clashes with ISIL Terrorists in Tal Afar
• Iraqi Forces, PMF Advance in Tal Afar in Fifth Day of Op.</s>Iraqi security forces on Wednesday retook control of new areas from Islamic State (IS) terrorists on the outskirts of the city of Tal Afar in Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh, the Iraqi military said.

The Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces completely freed the southern part of Kifah neighbourhood at the western edge of Tal Afar after about 24 hours of heavy clashes with the terrorists; Xinhua news agency quoted Lt Gen Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) as saying.

The federal police forces and the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units stormed the northern part of Kifah neighbourhood and managed in the afternoon to liberate the area after defeating IS terrorists, Yarallah said.

Also in the day, the Iraqi army’s 9th Armored Division and the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units liberated al-Tanak neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of the city and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings, Yarallah added.

On August 20, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, declared the start of an operation to retake control of Tal Afar and nearby areas from IS militants.

“We announce the launch of an operation to liberate Tal Afar. I say to IS, either you surrender or die,” Abadi said.

Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, is the last IS redoubt in the province of Nineveh.</s>Iraqi Joint Military Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool said units from the joint Iraqi forces are in full control of 60% of the "operational area" and 90% of the city center of Tal Afar.

The commander of the Tal Afar operation, Abdulamir Yarallah, said Saturday that units of the 9th Armored Division and the Popular Mobilization Units, also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, had captured al-Muthanna 2 district and the Tal Afar Hospital.

Earlier in the day, Yarallah said counterterrorism forces had "raised the Iraqi flag" in the central areas of The Citadel and al-Basateen.

Only a small area remains under ISIS control, in the north of the city, according to a map released by the Iraqi Joint Military Command. Tal Afar is the last city still under the control of ISIS militants in Iraq's Nineveh province following the liberation of Mosul, about 45 miles to the east. Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led coalition against ISIS, told reporters on Thursday that ISIS fighters were "completely surrounded" in Tal Afar, with their resources drying up, as Iraqi forces moved closer to the city center. Rasool, of the Iraqi Joint Military Command, said at the same news conference that 302 ISIS fighters had been killed since the start of the operation. He added that 33 rigged vehicles and 35 tunnels had been destroyed. Fighters of the Popular Mobilisation Units flash the victory gesture as they sit in the back of a pickup truck during the advance in the eastern part of Tal Afar on Friday. As the effort to retake Tal Afar got underway, the US-led coalition estimated that between 10,000 and 50,000 civilians remained in and around the city. The United Nations warned of the risks to thousands of Iraqi families as they seek to flee the battleground in scorching heat. UN refugee and migration agencies on Tuesday called for civilians to be given safe passage out of the conflict zone. "We fear that Iraqi civilians are likely to be held as human shields again and that attempts to flee could result in executions/shootings," said Andrej Mahecic, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in a news release. He added that people in the area had reportedly been enduring very difficult conditions for months, with a lack of food, clean water and electricity. Tal Afar was captured by the extremists on June 16, 2014, after a two-day battle. ISIS fighters still control Hawija, west of Kirkuk, as well as the towns of Qaim, Rawa and Ana near the Syrian border.</s>Iraqi forces retake most of Tal Afar from Islamic State: military

Iraqi forces have retaken almost all of Tal Afar, Islamic State’s stronghold in the country’s northwest, the Iraqi military said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

After just eight days of fighting, all 29 neighborhoods in Tal Afar city had been taken back from the militant group, the military said in a statement on Sunday.

However, fighting was ongoing in al-’Ayadiya, a small area 11 kilometers northwest of the city, where militants who fled the district’s city center were hiding out, Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said.

Iraqi forces were waiting to retake the area before declaring complete victory in the offensive, he said.

Tal Afar was the latest objective in the U.S.-backed war on the jihadist group following the recapture in July of Mosul, where it declared its self-proclaimed caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The offensive on Tal Afar, which lies on the supply route between Syria and the former Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, started on Aug. 20. Up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending the city against around 50,000 attackers, according to Iraqi and western military sources.

Such a quick collapse of Islamic State in the city, which has been a breeding ground for jihadist groups, would confirm Iraqi military reports that the militants lack command and control structures west of Mosul.

Residents who fled Tal Afar days before the start of the offensive told Reuters that the militants looked “exhausted” and “depleted”.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have fled in the weeks before the battle started. Remaining civilians were threatened with death by the militants, according to aid organizations and residents who managed to leave.

Tal Afar has experienced cycles of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi’ites after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and has produced some of Islamic State's most senior commanders.</s>TAL AFAR, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi forces are about to take full control of Tal Afar, Islamic State’s stronghold in northwestern Iraq, in a swift campaign against the outnumbered, exhausted militants, an Iraqi military spokesman said on Saturday.
The Iraqi Army announces it is in full control of the Iraqi Turkmen city of Tal Afar in the Nineveh Governorate, after eight days of clashes with ISIL militants inside the city.