Prime Minister Haider al Abadi

Iraqi ground forces began an assault on the town of Tal Afar, Prime Minister Haider al Abadi announced on state television, one of the last territories in the country controlled by Daesh militants, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Tal Afar, though much smaller than Mosul, is also expected to be a tough battle, Iraqi officials estimate that some 1,000 Daesh militants remain in the town and will fight to the death, with little opportunity for escape.

“I say to Daesh, you have no choice but to surrender or die,” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Adabi said in a pre-dawn televised address.