ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish forces from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) backed by the Peshmerga have pushed out so-called Islamic State fighters from their bases in Shingal, Mosul province, a Peshmerga commander told Rudaw. In a joint operation, Peshmerga forces and YPG Kurdish fighters have forced ISIS fighters to retreat. These fighters were conducting multiple attacks on YPG bases in Gabar village near the town of Shingal, Shingal Peshmerga Cmdr. Issa Zeway said Sunday. Officials announced there were no Peshmerga casualties and no figure for ISIS casualties was available. In recent months, Shingal has been struggling to recover from a devastating ISIS attack from last year that unleashed a spree of killings, rapes and kidnappings against the area's predominantly Kurdish Yezidi population. The YPG, the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Syrian Kurdistan, entered the Kurdish Yezidi-dominated region of Shingal after the surprise assault by ISIS last year.
