Clashes erupt between Peshmerga, IS militants near Makhmour
One jihadist was killed in the fight as the Peshmerga successfully repelled the attack.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdish Peshmerga Forces and Islamic State (IS) militants clashed near the disputed area of Makhmour on Tuesday, according to a Kurdish official.
Head of the Makhmour Peshmerga front line, Sirwan Barzani, revealed the Kurdish Forces engaged in a firefight with militants in the Qarachukh mountain. One jihadist was killed in the fight as the Peshmerga successfully repelled the attack.
Peshmerga Forces near Makhmour were already combat-ready as they anticipate an attack by the Iraqi army, Hashd al-Shaabi, Federal Police, and Emergency Response Division who reportedly deployed troops near the Peshmerga-controlled areas.
The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) on Monday said the Iraqi army and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias were preparing an assault on the disputed area.
"We are alarmed by significant Iraqi military buildup in the vicinity of Makhmour, Southwest of Erbil, in preparation for an attack on nearby Peshmerga positions," the statement read.
"We call on the Federal Government of Iraq to stop its provocative military advances," the statement continued. "It is a gross violation of the Iraqi Constitution."