Iraqi forces recapture 7 villages near Tal Afar west of Mosul




By Ziad al-Haidari one hour ago
27/6/2017

Iraqi forces recapture 7 villages near Tal Afar west of Mosul - AFP

Roudao - Erbil


An Iraqi military source said Tuesday that the army liberated seven villages in the Tal Afar district west of the city of Mosul from the control of the militants, "Daash" after fighting lasted several hours.

"The forces of the 15th Infantry Division of the Iraqi army liberated today the villages of Tel Khima Minor and Tel Tent of the Great and Mishaqra Olaya and Lower Chakra, Abu Kaddur, Baghla and Boer of Tal Afar," said Jabbar Hassan, an officer in the Iraqi army.

"The military operation that began this morning is aimed at tightening the grip on armed militants in Tal Afar and limiting their movement outside the judiciary in order to advance towards the center of the judiciary and its penetration," Hassan said.

Da'ash took control of the predominantly Turkmen town of Tal Afar on June 10, 2014, forcing thousands of residents to flee to nearby provinces.

For his part, the commander of the military campaign to liberate Mosul in northern Iraq on Tuesday, that his forces liberated the mosque Zuwani in the old city on the western side of Mosul.

"Today, the federal police units liberated Al-Zaywani Mosque in the Bab al-Beid area of ​​old Mosul," Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah said in an emergency broadcast on state television.

And Al-Zuwani mosque near the Bab al-Beid area in Mosul, one of Mosul's historic and archaeological mosques.

"The Iraqi forces slowed down their advance in the old city of Mosul after attacks by elements calling for the past two days aimed at liberated neighborhoods," Iraqi army lieutenant Nayef al-Zubaidi told a news briefing.

"The Iraqi forces are now conducting a comprehensive encirclement of the old city to prevent any further attacks by elements calling for liberated neighborhoods," Zubaidi said.

A fierce battle between the Iraqi forces and the organization of "Daash", in the area of ​​"Old Mosul", on the western side of the city, which freed the government has restored the entire Mosul.

Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq, dominated by the "Dahesh" summer of 2014, and security forces during a military campaign began in October last, to restore the eastern half of the city, and then began on 19 February last battles on the western side.

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