Although Tal Afar seemed a relatively easy victory after Mosul, Islamic State militants who fled the city are now holed up in nearby Ayadiya, where they continue fighting. There are also reports that Shi’ite militias have begun killing civilians and looting homes in Tal Afar.
Saad al-Hadithi, a government spokesman announced that 2.1 million displaced Iraqis have been able to return home. However, a new refugee camp was opened to deal with civilians fleeing the situation in Tal Afar and nearby villages.
At least 29 people were killed and 46 were wounded:
In Sadr City, a bomb at the Jamiya market left 12 dead and 30 wounded.
Four people were killed and eight were wounded in a bombing in Yusufiya.
In Baghdad, a bombing killed three and wounded six.
A bomb in Tarmiya wounded two people.
In Kharaij, five militants were killed when they attacked Peshmerga forces.
An airstrike in Diyala province killed five militants.
