Iraqi forces said they faced tough resistance on Monday from Islamic State fighters driven out of the city of Tal Afar to a small town where they had "nothing to lose" by fighting to the end.
An advance by the Iraqi army and Shi'ite paramilitary groups into al-'Ayadiya was being slowed by snipers, booby-traps and roadside bombs, military officials told Reuters.
If the terrorists were ready to fight to the death, why not in Tal Afar where they'd dug in?
And how did the terrorists escape if Iraqi militias had the city surrounded?
Will the jihadis fight in al Ayadiya or will they keep heading west, trying to reach Syria where ISIL is a bit stronger?
ISIL resistance collapsed quickly in Tal Afar. The Iraqis need to take advantage of the apparent collapse of ISIL morale to hit them in other strongholds.
UPDATE: Iraqi forces are going after these ISIL gunmen:
Hundreds of battle-hardened IS militants are defending al-Ayadiya, a small town outside Tal Afar which itself is about 80 km (50 miles) west of Mosul, the former de facto IS capital in northern Iraq that was recaptured in July, army officers said.
"Our soldiers now are engaging in a street fight with the militant group in al-Ayadiya,” Lieutenant General Qasim Nazzal told state television, adding that fighters in groups of three were barricaded inside "every single house and building".
How many hundreds? I thought a couple thousand were holding in Tal Afar. If hundreds took refuge in al-Ayadiya, where are the rest? Dead? Wearing women's clothing heading for Syria? Underground prepared to fight as insurgents and terrorists?
UPDATE: Iraq says they have taken Tal Afar:
Iraq declared on Thursday that its forces had retaken the northern city of Tal Afar and the surrounding region in another major victory over Islamic State group jihadists.
This fight took 12 days. Those are some broken ISIL gunmen. Pursue them and kill them while we can.
UPDATE: Ah, we estimate 1,100 to 1,300 ISIL killed in Tal Afar and the retreat from the city. So that's a chunk.
