(Worthy News) – Iraq still faces tough military battles and hard political choices in the wake of the surprisingly quick advance over the weekend to oust Islamic State militants from the northern city of Tal Afar.
Brutal counterinsurgency battles lie ahead on both sides of the border with Syria, and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi now faces a stepped-up schedule to establish stability and political reconciliation in the regions recaptured from the Islamic State, officials and analysts say.
On Wednesday, Iraqi military and counterterrorism forces pressed deeper into the heart of Tal Afar. The city lies less than 50 miles west of Mosul, which until last month was Islamic State’s biggest urban stronghold in Iraq. [ Source (Read More…) ]