20,000 Hashd Sha’abi fighters to take part in Tal Afar operation: Spokesman

Spokesman for the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) says thousands of pro-government fighters are going to participate in the upcoming operation to retake the northern city of Tal Afar from the DaeshTakfiri terrorists.

Spokesman for the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) says thousands of pro-government fighters are going to participate in the upcoming operation to retake the northern city of Tal Afar from the DaeshTakfiri terrorists.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network on Friday, Ahmed al-Asadi said 20,000 volunteer forces, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, will take part in the forthcoming battle for Tal Afar, located 63 kilometres west of Mosul.

He added that Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, is going to set the zero hour to start the operation.

“We have information about the presence of foreigners within Daesh ranks in Tal Afar, but we do not know their identity,” Asadi pointed out.