ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Clashes erupted in Kifri between Peshmerga forces and ISIS after the extremist group kidnapped a shepherd. Three Peshmerga were wounded and the shepherd was killed.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, eight ISIS militants attempted to kidnap an Arab shepherd in the village of Qoshalani in Zinana town in the Kifri area, according a Peshmerga official, prompting the response.
“Heavy fighting lasted 15 minutes between the ISIS militants and the Peshmerga,” Jamal Barani, a Peshmerga commander in Garmiyan bloc told Rudaw. “The militants killed the shepherd and later ran away leaving the sheep behind.”
As the Kurdish forces chased them “a planted bomb was triggered by one of our vehicles, wounding three Peshmerga,” said Barani.
He described the three Peshmerga as suffering minor wounds.
ISIS remnants have maintained a presence in Hamrin mountains, despite Peshmerga and Iraqi Security Forces’ operations.
Barani added “we chased them, firing on them with light and heavy weapons. They ran towards the Gharra mountains [to the south].”
There were unverified reports in Iraqi media this week of ISIS targeting shepherds in Diyala province.
Kifri, in Diyala province but a part of the Garmiyan bloc, is 188 kilometers southeast of Erbil and between Kalar and Tuz Khurmatu.
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