Besieged Iraqi forces in Tal-Afar seek tribal mediation to escape ISIS

The Iraqi army, besieged for days in the Iraqi airport of Tal-Afar, are seeking tribal mediation with ISIS to enable them to leave their positions safely, Anadolu news agency said yesterday.

A police officer from the city of Sinjar, west of Mosul, told Anadolu: “The Iraqi army has been fortifying in the airport despite artillery shelling at them.”

The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, continued: “The armed groups have been shelling the airport since yesterday [Saturday] evening. Hundreds of families in the villages around the airport have left their homes and headed towards Sinjar.”

According to the officer, the army has been seeking a tribal mediation with ISIS in order to reach a “truce that guarantees them safe departure”. He did not mention any details.

The Turkish news agency said that it could not confirm the news from the Iraqi authorities.

ISIS has surrounded Tal-Afar, which has a Shia majority, for several days. The army withdrew from the city without confronting the armed group.