Peshmerga play main role in liberating Turkmen village

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdish Peshmerga forces, with the aerial support of the international coalition, launched military operations to free the Turkmen-populated village of Bashir on Saturday morning.

Bashir is a Shia-Turkmen village located in southern Kirkuk Province. State-sponsored Shia militia Hashd al-Shaabi conducted almost 20 attacks on Bashir attempting to free the village from the Islamic State (IS), but the attacks were unsuccessful.

So far, Peshmerga forces have liberated Mazra’a village located near Bashir and the operation continues, according to Kurdistan24 reporter Hemin Dallo.

Peshmerga is advancing toward Bashir from three sides, but the planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) hinder the process of the operation, Peshmerga commanders told a Kurdistan24 reporter on the front line.

According to the latest update, 10 bodies belonging to extremists remain in the hands of Peshmerga, and several IS members have been wounded in Bashir and surrounding villages due to the coalition airstrikes and Peshmerga artillery shells.

Bashir has been under IS control for almost two years. The liberation of the village is important because IS often uses mortars there to shell areas under Peshmerga control, including Khurmatu town in southern Kirkuk.

It is worth mentioning that Hashd al-Shaabi militia will not participate in this operation. Peshmerga commanders have told Kurdistan24 that the coalition will not cooperate with Peshmerga in liberating the village if the militia is involved.

Reporting by Hemin Dallo, Hunar Ahmad and Mewan Dolamari
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany