Iraqi forces retake most of Tal Afar from Islamic State: Military

Baghdad: Iraqi forces have retaken almost all of Tal Afar, Islamic State`s stronghold in the country`s northwest, the Iraqi military said in a statement on Sunday.

Fighting was ongoing in al-`Ayadiya, a small area just outside the city. Iraqi forces were waiting to retake the city`s surrounding areas to declare a complete victory.

Tal Afar was the latest objective in the US-backed war on the jihadist group following the recapture in July of Mosul, where it declared its self-proclaimed caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.