IS bomb injures three Peshmerga in south of Kirkuk

KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Three Peshmerga fighters were wounded on Tuesday following an explosion south of Kirkuk, according to a Peshmerga Commander.

The Islamic State (IS) improvised explosive device (IED) exploded between the villages of Bayiz and Tibt as Peshmerga forces were patrolling the area, a Peshmerga Commander on the front lines told a Kurdistan 24 correspondent.

“As a result of the explosion, three Peshmerga soldiers were wounded, one of which sustained severe injuries and is in critical condition,” the commander said.

The wounded Peshmerga were transferred to a hospital in Kalar city before being moved to the Sulaimani Hospital for further medical treatment.

The jihadist attacks on Peshmerga front lines have increased in the south and western side of Kirkuk Province. The jihadists mostly launch their assaults from the neighboring city of Hawija, the last IS stronghold in northern Iraq.

Kirkuk officials have repeatedly called on the federal government of Iraq to act, claiming the presence of IS in Hawija poses a serious threat to the people in Kirkuk. Kirkuk is also home to half a million internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled from neighboring areas to the city, escaping the threat of IS.

Since 2014, over 1,700 Peshmerga have fallen while fighting IS, and over 11,000 more have been injured while defending the various front lines in the south of the Kurdistan Region.

Editing by G.H. Renaud