BASHIR Village - Following the liberation of the town of Bashir from Islamic State (ISIS) by the Kurdish Peshmerga on Sunday the destruction caused by ISIS's occupation became evident.

Before ISIS came two years ago, Bashir was the largest farming village in the Kirkuk region and home to at least 1,800 families, most of whom fled the takeover to the nearby city of Kirkuk.

When Peshmerga beat out ISIS and entered Bashir on Sunday, the liberators entered a largely destroyed and barren village.

ISIS had reportedly fired mortars and planted mines and other booby traps in Bashir in an attempt to hinder the Peshmerga offensive. The militants had also dug tunnels under the ground to avoid coalition airstrikes.

The governor of Kirkuk Najmaldin Karim called on the central government in Baghdad on Sunday to help rebuild the village.

"There has been a lot of talk about Bashir," the governor said. "Now the village is liberated by Peshmerga forces and it is time for the central government to help us reconstruct the village."

Shiite Turkmen members of the Shiite militia known as Hashd al-Shaabi reportedly participated in the liberation, though initial reports indicated that the Peshmerga had done most of the fighting in the village itself.