Liberation of Iraqi Tal-Afar to Disclose Daesh Terrorists' Many Secrets

In an interview with Sputnik, political expert Mazhar al-Saadi, explained why the operation to liberate the last major Daesh stronghold in Nineveh province, Tal Afar, is so important and what results it may bring. The Iraqi Army and militia, backed by the US-led coalition, began the operation on August 20.

Al-Saadi commented on the importance of the military operation and expected results. He also explained that the beginning of the operation was postponed for several reasons.

"First, there has been an active intervention from the outside. There is intelligence from various foreign countries working in Tel-Afar, which pursues a policy that does not always coincide with the interests of the Iraqi government," the analyst said.

"Secondly, only after the complete liberation of Mosul, which became a major moral victory for the army, was it possible to allocate forces for the liberation of Tel-Afar. In addition, the Iraqi Army needed some time to recover and calculate losses. So, experts believe that these factors were the reasons for the delay in the operation in Tel-Afar," he added.

The city of Tel Afar is 50 kilometers (around 31 miles) away from Mosul and is on the strategic route between Mosul and Syria's Raqqa, a Daesh stronghold.

Mosul has been occupied by Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia, since 2014. The operation to retake the city from the terrorists began on October 17.

"The situation in Mosul was very similar to the current situation in Tel-Afar. And if the army managed to liberate that city, then it will be able to repeat its success now, only with smaller losses," al-Saadi stated.

According to him, after the liberation of Tel-Afar it will finally become clear which states in the region support Daesh.

That is why it is necessary to conduct this operation, as it will help to defeat terrorists and "disclose many of their secrets," the expert concluded.