Iraqi prime minister: Tal Afar fully liberated from ISIS

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday declared the town of Tal Afar “fully liberated” from Islamic State (ISIS) militants after a nearly two-week operation. The latest victory means Iraqi troops have liberated all of Nineveh province, al-Abadi said in a statement. The prime minister said Iraqi troops “eliminated and smashed” ISIS terrorists in al-Ayadia district, some 6 miles northwest of Tal Afar, where the militants fled last week. The U.S.-backed troops last month declared the city of Mosul fully liberated. Tal Afar has served as a key route between Iraq and Syria for ISIS fighters since 2014. “To Daesh criminals we say: Wherever you are we will come to liberate and you have to choose only death or surrender,” al-Abadi said, referring to ISIS by its Arabic name.