A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul on October 28, 2016 between Qayyarah and Mosul during an operation to retake the city from the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP / BULENT KILIC
Baghdad: Iraqi paramilitaries launched an operation Saturday to retake the town of Tal Afar from the Islamic State group and cut jihadist supply lines from Mosul to Syria, a spokesman said.
"The operation aims to cut supplies between Mosul and Raqa and tighten the siege of (IS) in Mosul and liberate Tal Afar," paramilitary forces spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi told AFP, referring to IS's main strongholds in Iraq and Syria.
