Iraq war: Why the battle for Tal Afar matters on August 27, 2017 Although much smaller in size, Tal Afar has been a so-called Islamic State (IS) stronghold that the militant group has used as a strategic “base” since 2014. And Tal Afar has had ruthless rulers before – between late 2004 and early 2006, the city was controlled by al Qaeda in Iraq, a precursor to […]