Iraq: The Battle for Tal Afar Begins

Fresh off the battlefield in Mosul, Iraqi forces are beginning another offensive against the Islamic State, this time in Tal Afar. The town is strategically located east of the Syrian border and sits along a major road that was a key Islamic State supply route. Iraqi forces announced that more than 40,000 fighters will take part in the operation with the support of 20,000 mostly Shiite fighters from what are known as popular mobilization units (PMU)....