Ahmad al-Assadi said Monday the operation in west of Mosul aims to cut supplies between the northern city and Raqqah in Syria.
The operation is part of a large-scale offensive which the Iraqi army, the voluntary forces and and Kurdish fighters launched on October 17 to retake Mosul.
He added that the Hashid al-Shaabi (the voluntary forces, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units) will tighten the siege against Daesh and liberate the town of Tal Afar.
So far, Iraqi troops have liberated nearly more than 100 towns and villages since they began the decisive battle.
Earlier, Iraqi voluntary forces liberated the al-Taybah and al-Farsiyah hills, southwest of Mosul.
The recapture of Mosul would mark the Takfiri militants’ effective defeat in the Iraqi half of the territory they seized in 2014.