ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least four Islamic State (ISIS) snipers were killed by the Peshmerga in the village of Abzakh, one of five villages liberated by Kurdish forces in a major operation against the extremist group on Sunday.
At least a dozen other militants are suspected to be hiding inside underground tunnels built under the village.
Rudaw correspondent on the front Nechirvan Hussein, reported that no civilians were seen inside the village.
Peshmerga bomb disposal teams have joined the forward operation units to clear roads and homes of explosives left behind by the radical militants.
In some areas the militants set oil wells on fire to avoid air strikes under the smoke.
Some of the heaviest fighting took place inside the village of Tihes where ISIS militants hiding inside the homes put up fierce resistance and deployed a suicide bomber against the Peshmerga who was killed before reaching his target.
Milan missiles were used in today’s operation to destroy several ISIS car bombs that were deployed against the Peshmerga forces in the open terrain.
The Kurdish forces aim to retake 11 villages from ISIS and they have so far freed five villages.
