Alwaght- Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) has announced that they will launch an operation to liberate Tal Afar as Iraqi army is advancing towards the terrorist group’s stronghold, Mosul.
The city which is predominately Turkmen, is located 80km west of Mosul on the highway leading to eastern Syria.
The pro-government PMF has chosen the strategic city in a bid to ensure that ISIS cannot flee from Iraq and regroup to vast deserts of eastern Syria that it controls.
Blocking ISIS from relocating in Syria cause that the terrorist group can never threaten Iraq and weakens its operations in Syria as vital supply lines for ISIS.
Many Iraqi and foreign officials have already warned that ISIS terrorist are fleeing their last bastion in the Iraqi city of Mosul and are relocating in the group’s Syrian stronghold, Raqqa.
AFP cited Hollande as saying “We can’t afford mistakes in pursuit of terrorists, who are already fleeing Mosul for Raqqa.”
Iraqi Prime Minister has already called on the US-led coalition to prevent ISIS terrorists from escaping Mosul city and traveling to Syria.
"It is the responsibility of the coalition to cut the road to Syria for Daesh," Iraqi television cited Haider al-Abadi as saying on Tuesday, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Abadi made the remark after the Syrian army’s General Command warned that the supporters of international terrorism are attempting to secure safe passage for the terrorists into Syria.
On Tuesday, the Syrian army warned of a “malicious scheme” by the US and Saudi Arabia to provide safe routes for the groupings of ISIS terrorists, who are fleeing their last stronghold in neighboring Iraq.
It warned that Damascus regards any attempt at crossing into its borders as “an attack on the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic,” stressing that those who attempt to do so would be regarded as terrorists and would be dealt with accordingly.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow may take "political and military" decisions if the Daesh terrorists were redeployed to eastern Syria.
After months in preparation, Iraqi army launched its long awaited operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS that entered the city in 2012.
Late on Thursday, the Iraqi military said it had captured the town of Bartella, situated some 15 kilometers from Mosul. Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati called the liberation of the town an “important” achievement for the operation, PressTV reported.
"Everything must be done to ensure the safety of civilian populations, now residing in combat areas and used as human shields by Daesh [Arabic pejorative term for IS],” Hollande said, adding that anti-IS forces must act “in full respect of human rights and international humanitarian law."
