Iraq News
Security

Iraqi forces clear Tal Afar of ISIS explosives

By Khalid al-Taie

Workers clear rubble from the Tal Afar Education Directorate building in this photo, posted online on November 4th. [Photo courtesy of the Tal Afar Education Directorate media office]

Workers clear rubble from the Tal Afar Education Directorate building in this photo, posted online on November 4th. [Photo courtesy of the Tal Afar Education Directorate media office]

Iraqi forces on Monday (March 19th) finished clearing the centre of Tal Afar in western Ninawa province of explosives left behind by the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

Since the city was liberated on August 31st, the engineering battalion of the army's 15th Division has been working to clear explosive remnants of war, local council member Tariq Hussein Akrish told Diyaruna.

"The clearing began immediately after operations to liberate Tal Afar ended, and thousands of mines, car-bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted on roads, public squares and in private homes were defused," he said.

"Army forces have made unprecedented efforts to overcome this serious challenge that has hampered the return of displaced residents," he added.

A Tal Afar municipality vehicle removes remnants of war from the city streets in this photo, posted online on March 8th. [Photo courtesy of Bawabat Tal Afar]

A Tal Afar municipality vehicle removes remnants of war from the city streets in this photo, posted online on March 8th. [Photo courtesy of Bawabat Tal Afar]

Work to remove explosives from the villages of Tal Afar continues, Akrish said, adding that "these areas are still not safe for their displaced residents to return to as there are explosives everywhere".

Improved security

Roughly 40% of the 43,000 families displaced after ISIS invaded Tal Afar in the summer of 2014 have returned to the city centre in recent months, amid improved security, Akrish said.

The city "is experiencing clear stability and the military forces are in control of the security situation", he added.

Returning residents underwent a thorough security check before being allowed back into the city, he said, in a process designed to apprehend ISIS infiltrators.

The military cordon around the city is "tight and does not allow any terrorists to infiltrate", he said, noting that it is unlikely that any sleeper cells remain.

"The service situation is gradually improving," Akrish added, with electricity restored to about 70% of the city's neighbourhoods and the water department ready to deliver drinking water to all areas.

Much war debris and thousands of cubic metres of rubble have been removed in joint efforts of security troops and cleaning workers, he added.

"There are humanitarian organisations that help us finance clean-up campaigns by paying the monthly wages of about 150 cleaning workers," he said.

All this effort means "the city has changed a lot compared to the way it was six months ago", he said. "It has regained its bright face."

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