ISIL Commander in Charge of Main Defense Line in Tal Afar Killed by Sniper Shot

Senior ISIL member in charge of one of the group’s defense lines was killed by a sniper in the vicinity of Tal Afar town, West of Mosul, a local source in Nineveh province said.

Hawzah News Agency - The source said the ISIL official, called Abu Yusuf, in charge of one of the group’s important defense lines in the vicinity of Tal Afar, West of Mosul, was killed by a sniper shot from the side

of a checkpoint of the Iraqi popular troops, Al Sumariya reported.

“Abu Yusuf is one of the main leaders of ISIL terror group in Tal Afar. He was among ISIL leaders nominated for the position of the military emir,” the source, who preferred anonymity, added.

Tal Afar is one of the important strongholds still held by ISIL in Nineveh.

The group has sustained severe losses in personnel and ground since an offensive was launched in mid October to retake Mosul, the second-largest Iraqi city and the militants’ last urban stronghold in the country.

The number of ISIL fighters remaining in Mosul are estimated by Iraqi troops at 200 to 300, mostly foreigners, down from nearly 6,000 when the offensive started.

Eastern Mosul was recaptured from ISIL in January, after the offensive was launched in October. A new offensive started in February to retake the West.