IRBIL, Aug 20 (KUNA) -- Iraqi forces on Sunday announced regaining control of Al-Abra Al-Saghira village west Tal Afar, as part of "We Are Coming Tal Afar" military operation launched earlier today with the participation of 40,000 soldiers of the Joint Iraqi Forces.
Iraqi Federal Police, with the assistance of Iraqi air forces regained control of the village and is progressing towards western the cities of Al-Saad, Al-Zahraa and Al-Wehda, Head of the Police Chief Shakir Jawdat said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has announced the start of Tal Afar operation from the grips of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in the province of Nineveh, northern Iraq earlier this day.
The Iraqi forces are besieging Tal Afar from the west and southwest parts of the city, while the Kurdish Peshmerga is besieging it from the northern parts, but it did not take part in the attack.
A total of 2,000 IS militants are seeking shelter in Tal Afar despite their extreme exhaustion, according to Iraqi and US army officials.
The "Caliphate" state established by the IS in Mosul had collapsed after nine month of fighting with Iraqi forces supported by the international alliance and Peshmerga.
IS is currently controlling Tal Afar, Al-Huwaija city in Kirkuk, as well as three towns in the west of Iraq. (pickup previous) sbr.lb