ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish forces recaptured four towns and villages near Khazir in Iraq’s Nineveh province early Friday in an offensive that killed six Islamic State (IS/formerly ISIS) militants, a Peshmerga commander said.
Peshmerga forces have surrounded the town of Bashik, Brig. Bahram Arif Yassin told Rudaw. He said that six IS militants were killed and several captured in the fighting.
“Our forces attacked the IS near Khazir and we have taken Mount Zartak and four surrounding villages,” Yassin said.
The IS took the town of Bashik as well as Bairde, Kani Kawan, Sewdinan and Ashqalan from Peshmerga forces last month, when the militants launched a surprise attack into Kurdish-controlled territories.
Yassin said his forces were keeping up their attacks, pushing the militants further into Bashik.
Hours earlier, Peshmerga forces said they had killed three IS militants near Gwer and wounded seven others as they attacked a revel convoy.
Today’s Peshmerga advance coincides with the arrival of 70 tons of military equipment from Germany for the Peshmerga forces.
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