Battle for Tal Afar has not begun: Joint Operations Command

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The fight to retake Tal Afar from the Islamic State (IS) has not yet begun despite airstrikes carried out on the town, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) announced on Tuesday.

The statement was released by Iraqi military officials following reports of air strikes on IS locations in the town of Tal Afar, 40 kilometers west of Mosul, and warned the public to rely on press releases by the JOC.

“The battle to liberate Tal Afar has not started, and we are awaiting orders from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and for him to announce hour zero,” the statement read.

Iraqi forces are conducting the strikes on Tal Afar in preparation for the ground assault.

The Iraqi military noted plans for the operation to retake Tal Afar would be shared once the offensive begins.

The statement also mentioned various Iraqi factions would participate and the Iraqi army and affiliated forces were combat-ready.

Iraqi forces have already surrounded Tal Afar, and the JOC declared the army has been carrying out strikes and targeting IS “headquarters, gatherings, weapons depots, and booby traps.”

“The strikes are based on intelligence information gathered by the Iraqi Air Force and have been going on for some time,” the statement included.

Early stages of the operation against IS in Tal Afar have been underway as security forces began liberating surrounding areas last week.

Iraqi security officials have said nearly 40,000 soldiers will be involved in the offensive to free the city.

The Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), has already begun targeting militant positions in and around the city, and “will actively engage in the battle.”

Meanwhile, Lieutenant-General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces compared the layout of the area to the recent offensive in Mosul and said he expects the battle for Tal Afar to be “easier.”

Tal Afar, a predominantly Turkmen city, is still under the control of the militant group since it emerged in northern Iraq in 2014 and is one of its last remaining strongholds.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany