Victory in sight as Iraq forces recapture Tal Afar centre and citadel from IS
Officials have said the capture of the city would make it even more difficult for the jihadists to transport fighters and weapons between Iraq and Syria
Iraqi forces backed by local militia and a US-led coalition were poised on Sunday to drive the Islamic State group from the city of Tal Afar, dealing another blow to the jihadists.
Just a week after authorities announced an offensive to push the jihadists from one of their last major urban strongholds in Iraq, the Joint Operations Command said Iraqi forces held all 29 districts of the city and were pursuing final clearing operations.
Pro-government fighters could already be seen celebrating, flashing victory signs as their tanks rolled through the streets, waving Iraqi flags and taking down black IS banners from buildings and lamp posts.
The offensive comes just weeks after Iraqi forces retook second city Mosul from IS, in their biggest victory since the jihadists seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014.
Much of that territory has since been retaken with support from coalition air strikes and IS is also facing a major US-backed offensive against its de facto Syrian capital Raqqa.
