PHOTOS: 16 IS extremists killed trying to escape Bashiqa to Mosul

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Peshmerga forces on Thursday ambushed Islamic State (IS) extremists trying to escape the town of Bashiq, northeast of Mosul.

At 4:00 a.m. (local time), a group of 16 IS extremists sought to escape the newly liberated Bashiq town towards Mosul but were ambushed by Kurdish forces, a Peshmerga fighter who fought the extremists near the region told a Kurdistan24 reporter.

Brigadier Bahram Areef Yaseen, a Peshmerga commander in Bashiq, told Kurdistan24 during the Peshmerga operation to liberate Bashiq town, some IS extremists were not able to flee because they were surrounded by Kurdish forces.

Yaseen added the Peshmerga forces are prepared to prevent any insurgents from fleeing.

“The plan of IS extremists to retreat has failed, and they were ambushed by Peshmerga forces who killed 13 of them, and three others were forced to detonate their suicide vests,” Brigadier Yaseen said.

On Nov. 7, Peshmerga forces gained full control of the town of Bashiq in northeastern Mosul from IS, after surrounding the area for nearly two weeks.

Muhammed Haji Mahmood, a Peshmerga commander, explained to Kurdistan24 this was the second instance where IS extremists tried to flee Bashiq towards Mosul, but they failed both attempts.

“Peshmerga forces are searching for the remaining IS members inside the town, especially in the tunnels,” he added.

On Nov. 8, another group of 13 IS extremists who were trying to leave Bashiq was ambushed and killed by Peshmerga forces.

Bashiq had been under IS control since early June 2014 after the emergence of the group in northern Iraq where they expanded to different provinces including Nineveh, Diyala, Anbar, and Salahaddin.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany