Over 5,000 civilians to flee Tal Afar: Iraqi MP

Approximately 5,000 civilians could flee the Turkmen city of Tal Afar in Iraq, a Daesh stronghold, as planned military operations against the terrorist organization loom.

Raad al-Dahlaki , the chairman of the Iraqi parliament’s Immigration and Displacement Committee, said that according to intelligence sources, about 5,000 civilians are expected to flee the city center.

Dehleki also said that Mosul provincial authorities and security forces were preparing tent camps to shelter civilians from the conflict areas.

Thousands of troops positioned at the frontline are awaiting orders from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to launch the offensive. The city is surrounded by Iraqi government troops and Shi'ite volunteers in the south, and other fighters in the north.

A Daesh stronghold since 2014, Tal Afar, 50 miles (80 km) west of Mosul, was cut off from the rest of the Daesh-held territory in June.

About 2,000 terrorists remain in the city, according to U.S. and Iraqi military commanders. They are expected to put up a tough fight, even though intelligence from inside the city indicates they have been exhausted by months of combat, aerial bombardments, and by the lack of fresh supplies.