French forces, Peshmerga kill three ISIS members in joint-op near Diyala province’s Kifri

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – French and Peshmerga forces on Thursday killed five Islamic State members in a joint-operation in areas disputed between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government, an official from the area said.

A senior local official told Kurdistan 24 that “the Peshmerga and a French team” targeted suspected hideouts of the terrorist organization located on a small mountain ridge that extends from the town of Kifri to Tuz Khurmatu.

“The Peshmerga recovered the bodies of all three [killed] Da’esh [ISIS] gunmen,” said Jamal Salih, the mayor of Zinzana subdistrict, part of the Kifri district of Diyala province.

Salih’s statement came shortly following the operation, which took place around noon local time, according to local sources.

The mayor added that French warplanes neutralized “a number of” Islamic State hideouts and bases in the region. He also said two Peshmerga fighters were injured but could not specify the severity of their case.

The target of the latest operation has often been struck by coalition forces to clear it from sleeper cells that use it to reorganize and plot future attacks on nearby villages, towns, and cities.

Despite nearly two years since the Islamic State’s territorial collapse in Iraq, the group continues to remain a menace throughout the country but have been especially problematic in areas with security gaps.

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Since 2018 and amid ongoing efforts to ensure their lasting defeat, the Kurdish Peshmerga have participated in multiple similar operations throughout the rural areas where the terrorist organization continues to exercise influence, coordinating with the international anti-Islamic State coalition and, at times, with Iraqi forces.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany