Peshmerga repels ISIS attack in Kifri

The Ministry of Peshmerga announced that its forces were able to repel an attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Kifri-Garmian region on Sunday night.

The ministry said in a statement that ISIS terrorists carried out a cowardly attack at 10:18 on Sunday night on a Peshmerga point in the areas controlled by the Third Regiment of the 17th Infantry Brigade in Kifri.

The statement added, that "the heroic Peshmerga forces responded to the cowardly attack violently and managed to thwart it," pointing out that the terrorists fled and the situation is under the control of the Peshmerga forces.

Five Peshmerga members were killed on Saturday night by a roadside bomb explosion following thwarting a terrorist attack in Kulajo district of the Garmian region-Kurdistan Region. read more 

Both the United States and the United Kingdom condemned the attack and pledged to continue to support the Peshmerga in fighting terrorism

Iraq has announced a military victory over ISIS in 2017 after 3 years of battle with the terrorists. However, remnants of the group continue to impose threats, especially in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad. 

The disputed areas and their surroundings are still a hotspot for ISIS activities. The terrorists' sleeper cells exploit the security gaps between Kurdish and Iraqi forces. 

Attacks on the Peshmerga forces have recently increased in the disputed territories. In the beginning of November, Peshmerga forces thwarted an Islamic State (ISIS) attack near the Kifri frontline on the Kurdistan Region's border with Iraq. Before that, the Peshmerga forces repelled another ISIS attack near Prde on Erbil-Kirkuk road, lastly two members of the Peshmerga forces were killed in another attack in the same area.

ISIS militants ambush, kidnap and extort both civilians and members of the security forces in the disputed areas, which stretch across several provinces, including Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala, and Saladin.

Kurdish officials have repeatedly warned that ISIS militants are using “security gaps” between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces to carry out attacks in the disputed territories.

Despite the announcement of forming joint military units in those regions, however, the decision has not been put into effect so far.



PUKmedia