US Vice President congratulates Kurdish victory in Shingal

The Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden called the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Massoud Barzani, on Tuesday to congratulate Kurdish Peshmerga forces' victory against the Islamic State militants in Sinjar [Shingal] last week.

According to statements released online by the White House and the Kurdish Presidency Office, the two leaders spoke about the necessity to deny the IS freedom of movement between Iraq and Syria, specifically to cut supply routes between the Iraqi city of Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa, both under the control of the group. Peshmerga forces realised that objective when they were able to cut off Highway 47, an international route formerly used by IS to transport oil, weapons, goods and fighters between the two countries.

The White House statement called the operation to liberate Shingal "a part of a concerted campaign to increase pressure on ISIL in its heartland." It says the pressure on Islamic State group will continue "over the coming weeks and months."

According to the Kurdish Presidency Office statement, the American Vice President praised the joint military work of Peshmerga and the anti-IS coalition forces on the ground and in the air that provided air cover during "Operation Free Sinjar." The statement added that Biden reiterated the US commitment to working with and supporting the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] in the fight against IS.