ISIL militants seize city in Nineveh

There are conflicting reports that militants of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have overrun the strategic city of Tal Afar in Nineveh province.

According to Press TV, some reports on the situation in Tal Afar said late on Sunday that the city had been seized by the militants following heavy fighting with Iraqi forces.

Reuters quoted an unnamed city official as saying “The city was overrun by militants. Severe fighting took place, and many people were killed.”

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Iraqi troops and local tribesmen had foiled an attack by the militants belonging to the so-called ISIL on the city.

According to local officials, 8,000 tribal fighters have joined the battle against the Takfiri militants in Nineveh province.

Reports also said that Iraqi troops managed to recapture two towns from the militants, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Army forces are now pushing the militants back from other areas they had captured.

On June 10, the ISIL militants took control of Mosul, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northwest of the capital. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced out of their homes since then.