Peshmerga Reinforcements Sent to Zumar with Advanced Weapons

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish forces managed to retake one of their bases from Islamic militants on Saturday as fighting between both sides went on for a second day west of Mosul.

Military officials told Rudaw that large numbers of Kurdish troops with advanced weapons have now been deployed to the area.

A Peshmerga official told Rudaw that the IS militants had broken through the barriers of the Kaske military base near Mosul at 4:00 am on Saturday, but that “they were able to hold the base for only a few minutes before a Peshmerga counterattack expelled them.”

Kaske was an Iraqi military base that was abandoned by the army in June and Kurdish forces took over the base.

Rudaw correspondent in the region said that the fighting is concentrated around the village of Sihela and Zumar and that Peshmerga reinforcement were seen heading for Zumar on Saturday.

The Iraqi air force has reportedly joined the fight and bombed the positions of the Islamic militants.

“Many residents have now fled their homes and headed to safer areas,” said our correspondent.

Hamza Raviti, the spokesman for Duhok department of health said that 60 people were admitted to hospitals in the city.

“But it is not clear how many of them are Peshmerga and how many are civilians,” he said.

Fighting broke out on Friday morning after militants of the Islamic State (IS) launched an attack and seized a series of bunkers held by the oil installation police near Zumar.

The official said that one Kurdish Peshmerga was killed in today’s confrontations and 10 others were wounded.

On the first of the clashes 13 Peshmargas were killed and Kurdish military officials reported that they had killed more than 20 militants and captured 30.