ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 40 people, including whole families, have escaped from ISIS over the past two days and reached the Peshmerga frontlines in southern Kurdistan, Aras Haso Mirkhan, deputy commander of the of the Makhmour-Gwer front told Rudaw on Thursday.
"The Islamic State militants are suffering due to the lack of weapons and they are forcing citizens to join them in the fight, this made many young men want to escape,” Mirkhan said.
At 2am on Thursday, 11 people who had escaped ISIS -held Mishar village on the Makhmour-Gwer frontline submitted themselves to Peshmerga.
Mirkhan said the 11 people are not ISIS militants, but people who had escaped out of fear of the organization.
On October 1, US-led coalition airstrikes destroyed ISIS bases in Makhmour, killing more than 50 militants, a military source told Rudaw.
Makhmour, in disputed lands south of Erbil, was captured by Islamic State and occupied for three days earlier this year. The area was recaptured by Kurdish forces backed by coalition airstrikes.
ISIS positions are less than 21 km away from Makmour, prompting Peshmerga forces to have strengthened their security measures.
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