Iraqi rebels flee assault through tunnels

INSURGENTS fled to the countryside through a network of tunnels to escape an Iraqi-US force that reported killing about 150 rebels while storming the militant bastion of Tal Afar.

Following the guerrilla retreat on Sunday, the city has been swept clear of extremists for the second time in a year. Military leaders vowed to crush insurgents along the Syrian border and the Euphrates River valley.

“Tal Afar is just one piece of an overarching operation. We are not going to tolerate a safe haven anywhere in Iraq,” said Army Major General Rick Lynch, deputy chief of staff for coalition forces in Iraq.