Iraqi army retakes most of Tal Afar from Daesh - military

Iraqi forces have retaken almost all of Tal Afar, Daesh's stronghold in the country's northwest, the Iraqi military said on Sunday.

After just eight days of fighting, all 29 neighbourhoods in Tal Afar city had been taken back from the militant group, the military said in a statement on Sunday.

However, fighting was ongoing in Al 'Ayadiya, a small area 11 km northwest of the city, where militants who fled the district's city centre were hiding out, Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Rasool said.

Iraqi forces were waiting to retake the area before declaring complete victory in the offensive, he said.

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

The offensive on Tal Afar, which lies on the supply route between Syria and the former Daesh stronghold of Mosul, started on Aug. 20. Up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending the city, according to Iraqi and western military sources.

Such a quick collapse of Daesh in the city, which has been a breeding ground for terror groups, would confirm Iraqi military reports that the militants lack command and control structures west of Mosul.

Elite forces took control of the heart of the city on Saturday, and raised the national flag on top of the citadel building, the military said. Much of the Ottoman-era structure was destroyed by the militants in 2014.

Iraqi soldiers were seen celebrating Tal Afar's recapture on Sunday, taking down Daesh flags from their perches in the city centre and taking pictures mocking the militants.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have fled in the weeks before the battle started. Remaining civilians were threatened with death by the militants, according to aid organizations and residents who managed to leave.