Peshmerga nine kilometers away from the outskirts of Mosul
Dozens of IS extremists killed in Sunday’s operation.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces on Sunday stated the objective of the large-scale operation against the Islamic State (IS) near Bashiq northeast of Mosul had been achieved.
The General Command of Peshmerga Forces of the Kurdistan Region released a statement revealing that “at approximately 12:00 p.m. (local time) Peshmerga forces achieved their primary objective in a large-scale operation near Bashiq, northeast of Mosul.”
The statement of the Peshmerga General Command adds that the Kurdish forces cordoned off eight villages, in an area measuring approximately 100 square kilometers.
According to the report, Bir Halan, Faziliya, Omar Qapchi, Kanone, Bahzan, Khrab Dalil, Tis Khrab Bchuk, and Tis Khrab Gawra villages were cordoned off.
“Peshmerga forces have also secured a significant stretch of the Bashiqa-Mosul highway to limit [IS’] freedom of movements and prevent its ability to send reinforcements,” the statement read.
Moreover, the Peshmerga statement said that “today’s resounding successful operation positions Peshmerga forces less than nine kilometers from the outskirts of Mosul.”
Peshmerga forces destroyed eight IS’s car bombs and three motorcycles, including three by the Global Coalition warplane the statement said.
The Peshmerga statement concludes that “dozens of IS extremists killed in Sunday’s operation, including the emir in Bashiqa, Abu Faruq, and five other senior local figures: Abu Naser, Abu Karal, Abu Hassan and Abu Abdulrahman.”
General Command of Peshmerga Forces of Kurdistan Region stated that the operation resumed about 6:30 am local time from two front lines in Bashiqa, north east of Mosul.
The operation follows Peshmerga's successful advances in north and east of Mosul to clear the Islamic State (IS) from the Province of Nineveh.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany