25 August, 2017
Iraqi forces made fresh gains on Wednesday in an offensive to dislodge Islamic State from the city of Tal Afar, a militant stronghold in the northwest of the country, the military said.
"A total of 302 militants were killed, 31 districts of Tal Afar were liberated", Rasul told a joint press conference with spokesman for the US-led coalition US Army Col. Ryan Dillon.
Rasool said around 2,000 ISIL fighters remain in the city.
About three quarters of Tal Afar remains under militant control including the Ottoman-era citadel at its centre, according to an operational map published by the Iraqi military.
Tal Afar lies about 80 kilometers to the west of Mosul, which was retaken by Iraqi forces last month after a several months long campaign.
"The key is that they've broken into the city", he said, and described the Tal Afar offensive as "the toughest urban battle since World War Two".
"Tal Afar is one of the largest regions in Iraq, and the liberation efforts are proceeding faster than expected".
"ISIL are losing on all fronts and our partners have irresistible momentum", Maj Gen Jones said. "Their narrative has been so significantly discredited", he said.
Iraqi pro-government fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd al-Sha'abi) advance inside al-Nour neighborhood in eastern Tal Afar after the government announced the beginning of an operation to retake it from Daesh Takfiri terrorists, on August 23, 2017.
Iraqi forces, backed by the USA -led coalition, launched fresh military operations on Sunday aimed at decisively wresting Tal Afar from Daesh.
Along with Tal Afar, ISIL still controls the town of Hawija in Kirkuk province, as well as the towns of Qaim, Rawa and Ana near the Syrian border in the western province of Anbar.
