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On Monday, PMU spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi told reporters that the terrorists were using tanks in their attempt to escape Tal Afar, which is located to the west of Mosul, according to PressTV.

"The attack by the ISIS terrorist gangs started at around 7:00 pm (1600 GMT)” and lasted for around six hours, he said.

Iraqi army troops, backed by PMU forces, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, are closing in on fully liberating Mosul, ISIS’s last stronghold in Iraq, from almost all directions in a full-scale operation launched on October 17.

The coalition of anti-terror forces has so far fully liberated the eastern half of the flashpoint city -- home to more than one million people -- and are gearing up to liberate its western side.

"This was an attempt by ISIS to open a breach, flee to the Syria border and exfiltrate some leaders and fighters," he added.

He noted that Iraqi military helicopters aided the PMU in thwarting the ISIS attack, in which at least 50 of the terrorists were killed and 17 of their vehicles destroyed.

ISIS began its campaign of terror in northern and western Iraq in 2014. Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters are leading military operations to win back militant-held regions, trying to eliminate terrorists or driving them out of their country.