Drone kills 12 Islamic State militants east of Tal Afar
Representational photo.
Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) A drone guided by the U.S.-led coalition killed 12 Islamic State militants near the group’s last stronghold west of Nineveh, an air force officer said in a statement.
Maj. Abbas al-Khozami said in a press state,ent that the drone fired two rockets at an Islamic State residence in Alawliya, east of Tal Afar, the town held by militants since 2014.
Among those killed was Islamic State’s commando chief, Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Qader al-Jeheishi, Khozami said.
He said the air force continues to fly drones above the town to collect intelligence about the group’s locations and movements, noting that more air raids will be carried out in the area over the few next days.
The Iraqi government has recently set Tal Afar as the next target of oeprations against the Islamic State. So far, the town has been isolated from the Syrian borders and from Mosul by the pro-government Popular Mobilization.
Earlier on Monday, the media service of the Popular Mobilization said troops, backed by the Iraqi jets repelled an IS attack at the region between the borders and al-Hamdaniyah district, northeast of Nineveh province.
Ten militants were killed, while six vehicles of the group were burnt, the statement added.
Another statement by the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said an airstrike was carried out at Tal Sufouq, a region at Nineveh’s borders with Syria, killed 20 militants.