VIDEO: Rojava Peshmerga participate efficiently in battle for Mosul

KHAZIR, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Peshmerga commanders in the Kurdistan Region on Thursday revealed several battalions of Syrian Kurdish fighters are fighting alongside them since the beginning of the Mosul offensive against the Islamic State (IS).

Kurdistan24 interviewed many commanders and fighters at the Khazir front line, northeast of Mosul.

“We, as Rojava Peshmerga, have already participated in many battles around Mosul,” said Syrian Kurdish commander Orhan Atte fighting in the ranks of Peshmerga.

Describing the fighting in the villages around Bashiqa, some 10 miles east of the IS-held city of Mosul, Hussein Ahmad, a Syrian Kurdish fighter, said they fought effectively and IS insurgents withdrew in huge numbers.

“We fought against [IS] insurgents with high morale, and they have always panicked,” he said.

The fighters and commanders stated they were supplied with all types of advanced weaponry to participate in the battle for Mosul.

With the aid of coalition airstrikes and instructions from Peshmerga higher command, they performed their duty to the fullest.

Moreover, they also praised and appreciated the training and support they received in the Kurdistan Region.

A Kurdistan24 documentary issued last week said the number of Rojava Peshmerga includes about 7,000 male and female fighters.

Regarding the number of troops who are participating in the battle for Mosul, the documentary said there are about 1,000 forces.

Rojava Peshmerga make up thousands of dissident Kurdish soldiers who fled the Syrian Army in the early days of the Syrian civil war to fight IS in the Kurdistan Region.

They have been fighting alongside Peshmerga forces since the beginning of IS’ emergence in 2014.

WHY NOT RETURN TO SYRIA?

Subhi Batal, a Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga Colonel, explained to Kurdistan24 in a previous interview why Rojava Peshmerga could not return to Syria, and why they were excluded from the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

“Our main duty is to fight [IS] in Rojava but, unfortunately, political rifts between Syrian Kurdish parties prevent us from taking part in the fighting,” Batal said.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Additional reporting by Zardasht Hame)