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Tal Afar wary and wedged between Iran, Turkey and PKK

The Turkmen-majority city of Tal Afar remains sparsely populated and wary of outsiders a year and a half after being taken from the Islamic State. Geopolitical considerations and the nearby presence of the PKK, the Syrian border, the desert and mountains mean that operations continue in the area despite apparent calm.

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A fighter of Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) waves an Iraqi flag from an armored vehicle during the advance on the town of Tal Afar, Iraq, Aug. 26, 2017. — AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

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