ISIS terrorists attack Iraqi Army forces and forces them to retreat
An Iraqi military source said that a number of joint forces retreated from the South of Ayadiya area, north of Tal Afar district after being intensively attacked by ISIS.
In a statement to the Anadolu Agency, Abdul Samad Ahmed Al-Hashimi, commander of the 6th Division of the Iraqi Army, said: “This morning, Daesh launched field armed attacks, accompanied by attacks of Katyusha missile and 80mm calibre mortars, on the army groups and Popular Mobilisation Forces that were stationed in the south of Ayadiya.”
He added that the attack caused the death and injury of a group of soldiers and damaged and destroyed various military vehicles.
Al-Hashimi continued saying that ISIS’s attacks forced the military units to stop their move into the southern axis of Ayadiya and to retreat by a distance of one kilometre to rearrange their ranks.
He described ISIS’s attacks in the past few hours, as “qualitative” and attributed this to the “close narrowing of its forces from all axes, and the continuous advance towards the centre of Ayadiya.”
Al-Hashimi stressed that “the proportion of suicide attacks targeting the military forces in the district of Tal Afar is very low, compared to what was suffered in the battle of Mosul.”
He continued: “This is due to several reasons, notably the intensification of the air operations of the international coalition’s warplanes and the Iraqi Air Force over the area of clashes, their instant dealing with any suicide attacks, and Daesh’s inability to convince its members of the usefulness of such operations, while they are aware that, with or without them, the war is to be settled in favour of the attacking forces.”
Since 20 August, the Iraqi forces have been fighting against ISIS to recapture Tal Afar, which is located about 65 kilometres away from the west of Mosul. Two days ago, the Iraqi Army announced that they have completely liberated the city of Tal Afar from ISIS’s control, while military operations are still under way to liberate some remaining villages and areas in Ayadiya.
The area that the campaign intends to liberate consists of the city of Tal Afar and the two towns of Ayadiya and Mahalabiya together with 47 surrounding villages.
Source: Middle East Monitor
