Iraqi forces storm Tal Afar from two additional fronts as Mattis visits Baghdad

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – On the third day of the offensive, Iraqi forces on Tuesday launched an assault on multiple fronts on the town of Tal Afar town, west of Mosul, coinciding with an unannounced visit by US Secretary of Defense James Mattis to Baghdad.

On Sunday, Iraqi troops began a large-scale military operation, with the support of the US-led coalition, to retake Tal Afar from the Islamic State (IS), which took over the town mid-2014.

The federal police and Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), are already advancing toward Tal Afar from the western front, according to security sources.

The PMF are also preparing to storm the town from the southeast and the counterterrorism forces, meanwhile, are pushing on the southwestern front

As the operation continues, thousands of civilians living in severe and precarious conditions are fleeing to safer areas.

Iraqi forces have not given a specific timetable for the liberation of Tal Afar but noted that the city's layout, which is more open and much smaller than Mosul, could speed up the process.

Federal Police Chief Raed Jawdat in a statement announced his forces had taken control of 20 kilometers of front lines, liberating villages in the area and taking control of IS' tunnel network.

The establishment of two new front lines coincided with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis’s visit to Baghdad, where he will discuss the latest development regarding the fight against the jihadist group with Iraqi officials.

Lt. Gen. Abdulamir Yarallah, the commander of Tal Afar operation, declared that over 15 villages and areas had been liberated around Tal Afar over the past three days.

Following the liberation of Tal Afar, Iraqi forces are planning to head to Anbar to reclaim al-Qaim and secure the border before focusing their efforts on the city of Hawija, southeast of Mosul.

The counterterrorism forces latest advances on Tuesday were in the neighborhood of Kiifah in the southwest of Tal Afar, Yarallah stated.

Editing by G.H. Renaud