Baghdad: The mayor and residents of a northern Iraqi town close to the Syrian border say Sunni militants have captured the town of Tal Afar.
Mayor Abdulal Abdoul told The Associated Press that his town, located 420 kilometers (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad, was taken just before dawn on Monday.
The town has a population of some 200,000 people, mostly ethnic Shiite and Sunni Turkomen.
Residents in the town reached by phone confirmed its capture by militants. They spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for their safety.
The fall of Tal Afar comes a week after militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit in a lightening offensive.
Mayor Abdulal Abdoul told The Associated Press that his town, located 420 kilometers (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad, was taken just before dawn on Monday.
The town has a population of some 200,000 people, mostly ethnic Shiite and Sunni Turkomen.
The fall of Tal Afar comes a week after militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit in a lightening offensive.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Iraq's Mosul Finds Its Way Back To Life A Decade After It Fell To ISIS Lufthansa Group Suspends Israel, Iraq Flights Till Early Saturday Salvoes Of Rockets Fired At US Embassy In Baghdad Amid Israel-Hamas War Woman On Scooter With 2 Kids Punched, Left Bleeding In Pune Road Rage Case After Retest, Haryana NEET Centre With Most Top Scorers Gave This Result... On Sonu Sood's Post About Kanwar Yatra Order, Kangana Ranaut's Rejoinder "Fully Focused On Ensuring Safety Of Indians In Bangladesh": S Jaishankar Goods Train Derails in UP's Amroha, 15 Trains Cancelled Or Diverted BJP Will Protect Tribal Lands If Voted To Power: Amit Shah In Jharkhand Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.