Five Islamic State militants were killed in an airstrike launched in northeast of Diyala, according to the Dijla Operations Command. Speaking to Alghad Press on Monday, Maj. Gen. Mazhar al-Azzawi, said “Iraqi fighter jets destroyed in the evening a resthouse, vehicle and five motorbikes of the group in addition to killing five militants in an airstrike launched in Wadi Thilab, located in Neft Khana basin, northeast of Diyala.”

Naft Khana is considered a pivotal region in Diyala for its strategic location, being near to main roads, in addition to being geographically-connected to Hamrin basin. Attacks launched by Islamic State militants against security troops, the pro-government forces and civilians surged over the past few weeks in northeast of Diyala, which urge the Iraqi forces to prevent the militants infiltration between Salahuddin and Kirkuk provinces, especially the regions stretching along Hamreen mountains and Al-Azeem town.

IS holds pivotal regions that link between each of Diyala, Salahuddin and Kirkuk, posing threats to the liberated regions. After declaring victory in Mosul, the government and military commanders are expected to wage operations at other IS havens across the country, including Diyala, in order to mark an end to the group’s self-styled “caliphate” declared by the group in 2014.

In the same context, The Kurdish Peshmerga troops arrested 200 Islamic State militants, who were hiding among the displaced civilians in northwest of Tal Afar, a commander said. Iraqi troops launched attack against Aiyadhiya region, which resulted in fierce clashes against IS militants, Lt. Gen. Serdar Birwari, a commander in Duhuk, told Shafaq News.

The clashes, according to Birwari, forced around 2,000 civilians to flee Aiyadhiya, arriving at Zimar axis in Sahl al-Maleh village, where Peshmerga troops are deployed. While checking identities of the fleeing civilians, around 200 IS militants were found out to be hiding among the displaced, Birwari said.

Earlier on Monday, the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces, along with the army forces, managed to take over “Ayyadiya farms” and “Mohaled al-Khalaf” farmlands, east and south of the region where Iraqi commanders say the remaining militants are besieged. Up to 2000 Islamic State fighters are believed to remain in Tal Afar, Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool, the JOC’s spokesperson, said in remarks last week.

Last week, Minister Jassem al-Jaff said around 10,000 civilians were displaced from Tal Afar town in two weeks after Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi announced in a televised speech on August 20 the beginning of offensive to recapture Tal Afar, which has been held by the militants since 2014, when the extremist group first emerged to proclaim its self-styled ‘caliphate’. This came after 40 days of declaring victory in Mosul, the group’s former capital, where operations lasted between October to July. The United Nations says more than 30.000 were displaced as operations launched for the enclave.

On the other hand, The damage caused by the war against the Islamic State in Tal Afar town is too  little compared to that in Mosul, a local official stated.

Head of the  Nineveh province’s municipalities department, Abdel Qader Dakhil, told Alghad Press that  “the scope of damage in Tal Afar is too little”. He added that “comparing with Mosul, there is a very big difference.”

Dakhil added that municipal teams are awaiting military engineers  to clear booby-traps and  military leftovers so as to begin the rehabilitation of the town.

The government declared the launch of Tal Afar operations on August 20th. Iraqi military commanders have reported daily advances and retaking of IS-held territory since Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the launch of offensives.

Military commander said Sunday the town was totally recaptured with the militants cornered at an area in the northwest.

Past operations by the PMF had managed, until the end of June, to isolate Tal Afar from the Syrian borders and from the rest of Nineveh.

The United Nations says more than 30.000 were displaced as operations launched for the enclave.

Iraq’s war against Islamic State militants has displaced nearly three million Iraqis since 2014, with a U.S.-backed campaign launched in October 2016 to retake the city of Mosul displacing more than one million people, according to government and United Nations figures.

Besides the human losses, the war in Mosul, and encounters at other Islamic State havens in Iraq, have caused serious damages to infrastructure and basic services.

In July, Lise Grande, the United Nations’ human rights coordinator in Iraq, estimated the amount needed for reconstructing Mosul by more than one billion dollars.