ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – For more than a week Iraqi forces have failed to flush out Islamist extremists from Suleiman Beg, a district in Salaheddin province suffering from insecurity and inadequate security, water, food, electricity and shelter, its director complained.
“The situation of Suleiman Beg is the same and the Iraqi army has not achieved any progress,” said district director Talib Ahmed Bayati, referring to the military’s failure to oust militants of the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
“It has been a week that the village is under the control of ISIS forces and it seems that the army is unable to control the situation,” he said, adding that residents were struggling to meet daily needs.
Islamic militants in Iraq have intensified their war against the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. ISIS fighters reportedly stormed into Suleiman Beg a week ago in a bid to take over government institutions. Intense clashes have been reported, including reports of air raids by Iraq fighter jets.
Meanwhile the mayor of the nearby town of Tuz Khurmatu, which administers affairs in Suleiman Beg, said that things had been quieter for the past two days in the area.
“So far the Iraqi army has failed to control Suleiman Beg and part of it, the Muradli neighborhood, is under the control of ISIS,” Tuz Khurmatu Mayor Shalal Abdul told Rudaw.
“So far, the government has failed to retake control of Suleiman Beg. I think this shows the weakness of the Iraqi army,” he said.
He added that, according to his information, the Iraqi forces have asked the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to send in Peshmarga troops to help the army.
But Jabar Yawar, head of the Peshmarga ministry, said that was not true. “We have not received any request, neither from the ministry of defense nor from any other forces to participate in any military operations,” he told Rudaw.
“Only the president of the Kurdistan Region, who is the commander-in-chief of the Peshmarga forces, can decide whether to decline or accept such a request,” Yawar added.
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