WEB DESK
Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder al-Abadi declared victory over Islamic State militants in Tal Afar and the entire province of Nineveh yesterday, despite continued fighting in the small town of al-‘Ayadiya. In a statement Abadi said Tal Afar has been liberated.
Tal Afar had become the next target of the US-backed war on the terrorist group following the capture of Mosul, where it had declared its caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Iraqi forces had been waiting to clear al-‘Ayadiya, 11 km northwest of Tal Afar, before declaring complete victory in the offensive. Islamic State militants had retreated to the town.