The forces are deployed in an arid region west of Tal Afar as part of a wider military campaign to retake the city of Mosul, the largest city under the control of ISIS (ISIL, IS, Daesh) in Iraq.

The town of Tal Afar is around 77 kilometres (47 miles) west of Mosul.

Recapturing it would help cut ISIS supply lines between Mosul and its Syrian territories, and offer a base for the Hashid's stated plan to take their battle with ISIS into Syria.

"We have captured and secured 13 kilometres of area today and we have only 25 kilometres left to recapture, God willing, Reuters reports.

Tomorrow we will continue our advance to reach our target, which is recapturing Tal Afar, and after that the Tal Afar airport to cut off the route between the Syrian and the Iraqi borders and thus tightening the noose around Mosul and Tal Afar," said Abu Turab al-Timmimi, a Badr militia commander, which is part of Hashid Shaabi.

Flying Shiite banners, vehicles of Hashid Shaabi drove into a recently seized village west of Mosul and Shiite fighters were deployed to the roads of the village, conducting foot patrol and searching buildings for militants.

As Shiite forces drove into the village, trucks loaded with goods and civilians, mostly women and children, streamed out with their cattle.

SA - 12