IS evacuates headquarters in Tal Afar due to doubts over people cooperation with security

Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State have evacuated many of its main headquarters in Tal Afar town, west of Mosul, a local source from Nineveh was quoted saying.

“IS has carried out emergency evacuations over the night at many of its main headquarters in Tal Afar, in west of Mosul, after some of them were targeted over the past few days, which left many of its leaders and fighters killed and injured,” the source told AlSumaria News.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source added “the group carried out the evacuations over the night due to its growing doubts over the people’s cooperation with security services, which contributed to the accurate airstrikes and inflicting losses on the group.’

IS flags, according to the source, remained on the top of evacuated buildings.

Earlier on the day, an anonymous source was quoted by AlSumaria as saying that huge explosion occurred at a field clinic, where IS injured militants are treated in the town, which urged the group to block the main roads.

“A huge blast took place in a residential building in Tal Afar town,” the source said adding that the building was found out to be a medical clinic for the injured militants.

“The reason behind the explosion is unknown,” the source said adding that the clinic is located in a residential alley, where families of Arab and foreign fighters are living.

Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesperson of the U.S.-led coalition against IS, was quoted on Sunday as saying that Tal Afar will be the next target of operations after victory was declared in Mosul.

On Saturday, 17 IS female members were killed and injured as unknown missile targeted a headquarter of the all-women al-Khansaa brigade in the town.

News reports mentioned that powerful blasts rocked the western suburbs of Tal Afar, earlier on Saturday, as airstrikes targeted a building with huge amount of explosives inside.

Lt.Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, of the Nineveh Operations Command, had said that the fourth phase of liberation will be launched soon to free Tal Afar and other regions to complete the liberation of the whole province.

Tal Afar is one of the important strongholds still held by IS in Nineveh since August 2014.

Source:iraqinews.com