Kurdish forces who launched an offensive to retake a northern Iraqi town from Islamic State
militants said they expect to enter and clear it soon, after severing a
major supply line between the militant group’s stronghold in eastern
Syria, and Mosul – their seat of power in Iraq.
Sinjar in northern Iraq, was seized 15 months ago by Isis forces, who massacred and enslaved the local Yazidi community and ousted other minorities from the Nineveh plains.
The Kurdish regional security council said its troops have seized more than 150 sq km from Isis, and were now in control of a section of highway 47, isolating Sinjar from militant strongholds in Syria and northern Iraq. The Kurdish fighters also said they had secured the villages of Gabarra, on the western front, and Tel Shore, Fadhelya and Qen on the eastern front.
Kurdish commanders said they had never seen Isis – also known as Daesh – so vulnerable. “For the last 15 months that I have been fighting Daesh, I have never seen them so weak, they were literally running away,” said Col Kamran Hawrami. “Our objective is to free Sinjar and the surrounding areas. The fighting is continuing on all fronts but we have passed by bodies of Daesh [fighters].”
The council said the remains of dozens of Isis fighters were left abandoned in the field, after the group retreated from some parts of the town.
Hundreds of Yazidi forces are also taking part in the attack and one of their commanders said coalition air attacks had been key to the offensive.
Haydar Shasho, a top Yazidi commander and the head of the Sinjar protection force, who was east of Sinjar, in the village of Sulakh, said: “The coalition air cover was very helpful and if it was not for air support, it would be very difficult to reach the objective of the offensive. Sinjar town is important to Yazidi people because without Sinjar, Yazidis do not exist.”
Sinjar in northern Iraq, was seized 15 months ago by Isis forces, who massacred and enslaved the local Yazidi community and ousted other minorities from the Nineveh plains.
The Kurdish regional security council said its troops have seized more than 150 sq km from Isis, and were now in control of a section of highway 47, isolating Sinjar from militant strongholds in Syria and northern Iraq. The Kurdish fighters also said they had secured the villages of Gabarra, on the western front, and Tel Shore, Fadhelya and Qen on the eastern front.
Kurdish commanders said they had never seen Isis – also known as Daesh – so vulnerable. “For the last 15 months that I have been fighting Daesh, I have never seen them so weak, they were literally running away,” said Col Kamran Hawrami. “Our objective is to free Sinjar and the surrounding areas. The fighting is continuing on all fronts but we have passed by bodies of Daesh [fighters].”
The council said the remains of dozens of Isis fighters were left abandoned in the field, after the group retreated from some parts of the town.
Hundreds of Yazidi forces are also taking part in the attack and one of their commanders said coalition air attacks had been key to the offensive.
Haydar Shasho, a top Yazidi commander and the head of the Sinjar protection force, who was east of Sinjar, in the village of Sulakh, said: “The coalition air cover was very helpful and if it was not for air support, it would be very difficult to reach the objective of the offensive. Sinjar town is important to Yazidi people because without Sinjar, Yazidis do not exist.”
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