IS offensive repelled in Syrian Kurdistan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdish forces repelled an Islamic State (IS) attack that began over the weekend, south of the Hasakah governorate in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), killing at least 38 militants.

Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) announced in a statement Tuesday on its website that the IS offensive targeted Kurdish defense lines near the village of Azawi south of the town of Shadadi.

The report mentioned IS militants were aiming to break through the Kurdish forces’ defense lines, but their efforts were thwarted.

Moreover, during the two days of clashes, nine Kurdish fighters were martyred.

The YPG said its forces destroyed three IS car bombs during the attacks while also liberating the village of Gishgish and Zanat in a counter-offensive.

Additionally, the YPG stated the Kurdish forces captured weapons and ammunition from a withdrawing IS.

IS, on the other hand, released a statement on its short-lived social media outlets, claiming two successful car bomb attacks that “killed and wounded dozens of PKK apostates” in the villages of Fadghami and Gishgish.

Meanwhile, daily factsheets released by the US-led International Coalition against IS revealed an increased close air support to the YPG and its multi-ethnic surrogate alliance of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

On Sep. 9 and 10, only four coalition airstrikes were conducted on IS targets near Shadadi.

The number of airstrikes increased dramatically on Sep. 11 to nine and on Sep. 12 to seven.

The US-backed YPG and SDF liberated Shadadi and its environs, including more than 50 villages in a three-day operation in February 2016.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Reporting by Ari Khalidi)