Peshmerga kills two IS members infiltrating from Tal Afar into northwestern Mosul
The artillery of Peshmerga forces. File photo.
A suicide attacker, wearing a suicide belt, was killed by the troops, while another militant was killed near Kol Mohamed village in Zimar town, northwest of Mosul, the source told Shafaq News.
The two militants infiltrated from Aiyadhiya town, in Tal Afar, located west of Mosul.
Iraqi troops resume operations for the fourth day after Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi announced on Sunday in a televised speech the beginning of offensive 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, where operations lasted between October to July.
Security forces made advance on Wednesday in several directions in Tal Afar town, invading al-Tenek district, east of the town, gaining control on the medical center there and started invasion on al-Jazeera district, in the northeast. Al-Khadraa district, in the south, was invaded, while wide regions of al-Kifah al-Shamali, in the northwest, were freed.
More than 1400 Islamic State militants with Arab and foreign nationalities are estimated to be in the town, according to military commanders.