4 August 2017, 12:31 GMT
ANKARA (Sputnik) – The United States is constructing a military base in northern part of Iraq in the vicinity of the city of Tal Afar controlled by the Daesh (outlawed in Russia) terrorist group, an Iraqi army source said Wednesday.
"The establishment of the base came upon talks held between U.S. and Iraqi forces Friday in Mosul’s Zammar district," Lt. Col. Mahdi Khafaji told the Turkish Anadolu news agency.
The Iraqi lieutenant colonel added that more than 50 percent of the base had already been constructed and US special forces had already been deployed at the facility.
According to the official, the base is expected to be used for operations to drive Jihadists from Tal Afar.
On July 26, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi pledged to liberate Tal Afar from the terrorist group in the same resolute manner in which the liberation of Iraq's Mosul was conducted. Mosul was liberated on July 9.
