Five Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters) were killed by Improvised Explosive Device IED & four injured in an attack by militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant ISIL targeted a brigade in a twon, south of Sulaymaniyah, a security source anonymously said.
At 10:50 pm, November 27th, a number of ISIL militants infiltrated a Peshmerga fortress in the Tapi (Hillock) Talan area of Cox of Kulajo sub-district, part of Diyala province yet under the administration of Kurdistan Regional Government KRG, and as soon as they entered the fortress, they started shooting, wounding two Peshmerga forces.
Meanwhile, a force of the 5th Infantry Brigade of the Peshmerga in Kulajo headed with several military Humvees towards hillock. Upon their arrival, they were exposed to sniper fire, as a result of which four other Peshmerga members were wounded.
The six wounded were put in a military vehicle to be taken to the hospital for treatment but before arriving to the center of Cox, an IED exploded setting the military vehicle on fire.
Five members of the Peshmerga were killed in the fire, while four others were injured, according to Lieutenant Colonel Mariwan Azad, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade of the Peshmerga forces.
"The Humvee was carrying seven Peshmerga fighters, five of them were burned to death, while the other two were partially burned," Lt. Col. Azad added
The Humvee was carrying seven Peshmerga fighters, five of whom were burned to death, and the other two were partially burnt.
According to information obtained by KirkukNow, some of the wounded in the attack that targeted the fortress were among those inside the burning vehicle.
Lt. Col. Mariwan Azad said the fortress that ISIS infiltrated is one of the old castles located in the area between Cox and Jalawla districts.
"We received information a few days ago that ISIS militants were planning to launch an attack against the Peshmerga forces in that area, and the attack took place last night."
Sleeper cells and resistant pockets of ISIS militants are regrouping in the rural areas of the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil. They are targeting Iraqi forces and civilians in the suburbs of Diyla, Kirkuk Ninawa, Salahaddin and Erbil.
The persistence of ISIS threats comes despite the fact that the former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced in late 2017, the complete elimination of ISIS in Iraq, after nearly three years of military confrontations.
Photos of the five Peshmerga fighters who were burned inside a Humvee.
The site of last night attack is located between the positions of the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army yet it is under the control of the Peshmerga forces.
Mahmoud Sangawi, a senior leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK and the military commander in charge of Garmiyan area, south of Sualaimaniya bordering DIyala Province, told Rudaw TV, "The martyrdom of these Peshmerga was a great loss, but praise be to God, the wounded are in a stable condition. All those who were martyred were inside a Humvee that headed to the front lines."
"The reason behind the attack is due to our negligence. We warned them a month ago that they would be attacked. The commander of the Peshmerga Brigade had previously issued orders not to move any military vehicle, but the determination of these Peshmerga to rescue their comrades prompted them to violate the orders, so they were exposed to this disaster."
The figures about Daesh attacks by the ministry of Peshmerga MOP under the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government KRG show they have carried out 2412 attacks in the last four years since 2018.
Lieutenant general Jabar Yawar, secretary general of the MOP, told voice of America VOA Kurdish service Mid-November, "We have not agreed with Baghdad when it has declared end of Daesh in 2017 since it has led 2412 attacks up to last October. About 1742 attacks were carried out in 2018, 270 in 2019, 230 in 2020, 170 in 2021 up to end of October."
