Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the launching of a ground operation against Tal Afar.
About 17,000 displaced persons returned to their homes on the Nineveh Plains, to the north and northeast of Mosul. Several minorities live in towns such as Bartala, Bashiqa, Hamdaniya, and Nimrod. They include Christians, Shabaks, and Yazidis.
An Iraqi naval vessel sank after an accident involving a large bulk carrier in territorial waters. Four sailors were killed and 10 were rescued. Another seven are missing.
At least 91 others were killed and 13 were wounded in recent violence:
A civilian was killed and eight were wounded when an old landmine blew up in Qureitagh.
In Baghdad, a roadside explosion killed one person and wounded three more. A soldier was killed and another was wounded in an I.E.D. blast. A sticky bomb killed a professor.
Gunmen near Khalis killed a man and wounded his wife.
Security forces killed 66 militants in the Atshana Mountain range west of Mosul.
Twelve militants were killed in strikes near Mosul.
Jalawla villagers killed four militants.
Shelling left three militants dead in Anah.
In Tal Afar, a booby-trapping expert was among several killed during an accidental explosion.
