Iraqi Prime Minister Haider el Abadi announced on Sunday the start of a military operation to oust Daesh militants from Tel Afar, 60 kilometers west of Mosul.

The operation comes six weeks after Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, was liberated.

Abadi announced the start of the new operation in a televised speech at dawn of today.

Mosul was declared liberated on June 10 after a fierce nine-month battle between Iraqi security forces and Daesh with Hashd and Peshmerga securing outlying towns and areas.