Peshmerga kills 130 IS militants fleeing Tal Afar toward Syria

Erbil (IraqiNews.com) The general command of the Kurdish Peshmerga said 130 Islamic State militants were killed after fleeing Tal Afar town toward Syria.

In a statement on Tuesday, the command said “after the militants were defeated in Tal Afar and Aiyadhiya, they attempted fleeing toward Syria.”

“After fierce battles over the past 72 hours, 130 militants were killed,” the statement said, adding that bodies of the militants are still being searched for.

On Monday, Peshmerga troops announced arresting 200 militants who were hiding among displaced civilians fleeing Tal Afar.

Earlier on Monday, the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces, along with the army forces, managed to take over “Ayyadiya farms” and “Mohaled al-Khalaf” farmlands, east and south of the region where Iraqi commanders say the remaining militants are besieged.

The troops also repelled an attack near Aiyadhiya killing four militants and captivating twelve others.

Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi announced in a televised speech on August 20 the beginning of operations to recapture Tal Afar, which has been held by the militants since 2014, when the extremist group first emerged to proclaim its self-styled ‘caliphate’. This came after 40 days of declaring victory in Mosul, the group’s former capital, where operations lasted between October to July.