IS bodies found after battle with local villagers in Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Locals in a village in Diyala Province on Wednesday night defended against an Islamic State (IS) invasion of their homes and after an exchange of fire, killed three of the militants and took eight casualties in return.

The Arab-populated village is called Suleiman Bag and lies on the Jalawla-Kalar road with a population that is majority Sunni Muslim. The village is located northeast of Jalawla (Gulala) in Diyala.

The Jalawla police numbered the armed invaders at over 15 fighters.

The investigation and the bodies of the terrorists were handed to Iraqi forces on Thursday.

The Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga aided local police to take back Jalawla and protect it after they ended IS’ three-month rule over the locality from August-November 2014.

The area is now officially under the control of Iraqi forces after their advance into the disputed territories last October and the withdrawal of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Locals told Kurdistan 24 that security forces barricaded themselves in their stronghold and did not come to the aid of the residents during the fighting.

In April, a Peshmerga commander pointed to the possibility that Iraqi forces might be unsuited to defend against the militant group.

Before the May 12 Iraqi parliamentary elections, IS dealt six casualties to Iraqi security forces in Diyala as concerns of the group’s re-emergence grows among locals.

Even after Iraq’s declaration of victory over the extremist organization last December, IS continues to threaten the region through small-scale attacks, particularly in the disputed territories of Diyala, Nineveh, and Kirkuk.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany