Peshmerga are ready for liberation of Hawija

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces on Sunday revealed that they are making preparations for the liberation of Hawija.

Civilians from the city of Hawija, 30 miles south of Kirkuk, flee areas controlled by the Islamic State (IS) on a daily basis.

Additionally, IS extremists continue to threaten to execute anyone who escapes their stronghold towards Peshmerga front lines.

According to information obtained by a Kurdistan24 reporter in Kirkuk, Peshmerga forces are making preparations to launch an operation against the insurgents in Hawija.

The plan is to distance the threat of IS from the city of Kirkuk.

Mahir Harki, a Peshmerga commander, told Kurdistan24 on Sunday that Peshmerga forces are observing the advancements and developments on the front lines in Qayyara and Sharqat.

“Whenever there is an order, we will be ready to launch the operation of liberating Hawija and its surrounding areas,” Harki said.

IS extremists overran the Iraqi army in the Sunni-Arab populated city of Hawija on June 11, 2014.

Since then the extremists have launched four multi-pronged attacks and 300 minor attacks on Peshmerga front lines in Kirkuk from Hawija.

Peshmerga forces, the Iraqi army, and Sunni tribal fighters are expected to participate in a joint operation to retake Hawija.

According to security sources, they will be confronted by 1,500 to 2,000 IS extremists inside the city.

Sunni Arabs warn that a humanitarian catastrophe might occur if the city is not liberated soon as nearly 20,000 civilians are still trapped.

“All sides are ready to enter the district to free it from the oppression of this terrorist organization [IS], there is no reason behind delaying the operation,” Khalid Mafrajy, an Iraqi MP, told Kurdistan24.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Huner Ahmed from Kirkuk contributed to this report)