'Daesh' shocked after failing to cross Peshmerga defense

A Peshmerga commander stated on Thursday that Islamic State (IS) militants are desperate to cross Peshmerga defense lines in northern Iraq.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – A Peshmerga commander stated on Thursday that Islamic State (IS) militants are desperate to cross Peshmerga defense lines in northern Iraq.

On Thursday, the director for the district and sub-district police branches in Kirkuk, Sarhad Qadir told K24 that on Thursday, international coalition warplanes heavily shelled strategic areas, including IS basesin Hawija district, southwest of Kirkuk. The district fell to IS on June 2014, after the Iraqi army abandoned the area.

"Coalition jets targeted a gathering base of Daesh [IS] along the main road between the town of Riyadh and the village of Tara," he said, "The jets also shelled IS bases in the villages of Mahuth and Sadr."

According to information obtained by Qadir, tens of IS jihadists have been killed and wounded. "Following the coalition airstrikes, IS used mosque speakers in the area, calling on people to donate blood for their wounded militants," he added.

IS militants have been desperately attempting to break the defense line of Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, but Peshmerga consistently repel these attacks.

Another Peshmerga commander in southern Kirkuk, Kemal Kirkuki told K24 on Thursday that "Daesh has carried out a number of barbaric attacks in the last week, equipped with heavy weapons, but Peshmerga forces, with the aerial support of the coalition jets, have successfully repelled all their attacks."

He continued, "Daesh is shocked now because they used all kind of weapons they possess, including heavy weapons, but yet they fail to cross Peshmerga defense lines."

On Wednesday, Peshmerga forces released an announcement in northwest Mosul , stating that due to the coalition airstrikes in areas around Mosul on Wednesday, two IS snipers were killed in the village of Tashte near Kaske, northwest of Mosul.

 

(Soran Kamaran from Kirkuk Province contributed to this report)