Peshmerga killed 130 fleeing IS militants north Tal Afar over three days

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The General Command of Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday announced they had killed 130 Islamic State (IS) militants in the past 72 hours.

The General Command of Peshmerga forces released a statement regarding the battle of Tal Afar in northern Iraq, stating dozens of jihadists had been eradicated in the area.

“As the IS terrorists were defeated in Tal Afar and Ayadhiya, they tried to save themselves and sneak over to Syria, but Peshmerga soldiers were prepared and they [IS] walk into a Peshmerga ambush north of Tal Afar,” the statement read.

“After 72 hours of fierce fighting, the terrorists were defeated and suffered substantial losses. There are 130 jihadist bodies in the hands of the Peshmerga, and the search for other terrorists in the area is ongoing.”

On August 20, Iraqi forces launched the military operation to retake Tal Afar from IS, the last jihadist stronghold in the province of Nineveh, occupied since June 2014.

The operation is ongoing as Iraqi forces continue to advance in the north of the town to retake the Ayadhiya district from the militant group.

Editing by G.H. Renaud