The Ministry of Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Regional Government KRG said in a statement on Friday, December 3rd, last night within the borders of Makhmour district, ten people were killed in attacks by the militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant ISIL.
Last night, at 10 pm, a number of ISIL militants raided the village of Khidir Jija adjacent to Mount Qarachoukh, hideout of ISIL militants, and shot the residents of the village, killing three brothers and wounding several others as the villagers confronted them.
After the attack, "the Peshmerga forces went to rescue the villagers and were able in a short period of time to control the situation and pursue the terrorists," according to a statement by the Ministry of Peshmerga.
The statement stated, "After that, the Peshmerga forces carried out a combing operation in the area, during which one of the Peshmerga vehicles fell into an ambush set by ISIL terrorists, and unfortunately seven members of the Peshmerga were martyred."
One of the Peshmerga vehicles fell into an ambush set by ISIL terrorists, and unfortunately seven Peshmerga members were martyred
The Ministry of Peshmerga stressed in its statement, "The blood of our martyrs will not be in vain, and the terrorists and those who support them will pay a heavy price."
The statement also called for the necessity "to bring coordination and cooperation between the Ministry of Peshmerga, the Ministry of Defense and the International Coalition out of the stalemate stage, and to begin, as quickly as possible and without any delay, to implement a joint operation, and we must not allow the terrorists to remain in their hideouts and enjoy a safe haven."
The last attacks by ISIL militants took place between November 27th to 29th in the district of Kifri, northeast of Baghdad, between Sulaymaniyah and Diyalah where three attacks targeted the Peshmerga forces resulted in the death of eight personnel.
According to (KirkukNow) follow-up, in the past week, over 10 security incidents and armed attacks were launched by the militants in Kirkuk and other disputed territories, figures by the security forces show.
While the Iraqi government has declared defeat of ISIS in 2017, IS 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, leaving tens of casualties and causing material damage to power towers, oil wells, houses, cattle, orchards and vehicles of the villagers.
Makhmur district, 60 kilometers southwest of Erbil yet under control of Iraqi federal government, consists of three sub-districts and 40 villages yet only four villages are currently inhabited, figures from local administrations show.
The Mountains of Qarachukh, adjacent to Makhmur, are located in the triangle of Erbil-Ninawa-Kirkuk, an area swept tens of times by military operation by the Iraqi and Kurdish forces yet they could not eliminate IS hideouts there.
