Iraqi forces have "fully liberated" the city of Tal Afar from Islamic State, the country's prime minister has said.

Haider al Abadi said the militant group had been "eliminated and smashed" in the area, after forces took the town of al Ayadiya - about 10 miles north of the city.

The victory means that all of Nineveh province is under Iraqi control, he added.

Tal Afar sits on a main road between Islamic State's strongholds in eastern Syria and northern cities in Iraq and is considered strategically important.

Image: Iraqi forces pounded IS fighters with mortars

Up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending Tal Afar against around 50,000 government troops last week. It is unclear how many fell back to al Ayadiya.


Pictures have emerged of women and children - the families of IS militants - who have handed themselves over to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in the area.

Iraqi troops and coalition planes - which took part in the battle for Tal Afar - are now gearing up to retake Hawija, the last major city in northern Iraq held by IS.

Image: Iraqi forces flash the victory sign ahead of the advance towards al Ayadiya

Mr Abadi said in a statement: "To Daesh (IS) criminals we say: Wherever you are, we will come to liberate, and you have to choose only death or surrender."

British forces last took part in the battle for Tal Afar on 17 August, according to the Ministry of Defence, when RAF Tornados and Typhoons fired missiles that destroyed sniper, machine gun and mortar teams.

The Tal Afar victory marks a significant turnaround from 18 months ago when large swathes of the Iraq, including its second city Mosul, were under IS rule.

Image: Families of IS militants have surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga forces

Now, the only territory held by the terror group in Iraq is around Hawija and across a band of desert around the towns of Qaim, Rawa and Ana.

IS also controls a large area of eastern Syria, along the border with Iraq, as well as parts of Raqqa, the Syrian capital of the group's self-styled caliphate.

Rebel Syrian forces are also attempting to take Raqqa, backed by a US-led coalition that includes the UK.

Iraqi officials have been known to declare areas liberated before fighting has completely finished.

Militants also frequently carry out surprise counterattacks.

The Tal Afar operation began nearly two weeks ago and the apparent victory came about sooner than expected.

The coalition praised what it called a "stunning victory", but warned that "dangerous work remains", checking for booby traps, identifying IS fighters and eliminating its holdouts.