Iraqi leader declares Tal Afar ‘fully liberated’ from IS

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s prime minister on Thursday declared the town of Tal Afar “fully liberated” from the Islamic State group after a nearly two-week operation, the latest blow to the extremist group which ran nearly a third of the country three years ago.
Iraqi troops “eliminated and smashed Daesh terrorists” in al-Ayadia district, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Tal Afar, where the militants fled last week, Haider al-Abadi said in a