Peshmerga-ISIS fierce fighting in Tel Skuf; US serviceman killed

By Ayub Nasri

NAWARAN - Fierce fighting raged between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Islamic State militants on the northern Iraqi town of Tel Skuf Tuesday afternoon, where 400 ISIS fighters were reportedly fighting and a US serviceman was reported killed.

Islamic State militants staged three suicide attacks on Peshmerga defense lines and the Kurds fought back, military officials told a Rudaw correspondent on the Nawaran frontline.

ISIS lashed out on multiple war fronts against Peshmerga forces early Tuesday with 400 fighters, wounding at least two Kurdish soldiers in car bombings and suffering casualties itself.

The fiercest fighting was reported in Tel Skuf, where two ISIS suicide attackers detonated their explosives in the early morning but failed to inflict Peshmerga casualties, despite a large number of militants reportedly involved in the battle.

Meanwhile, in Germany US Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the death of an American serviceman in Iraq, saying, “It is a combat death, of course. And a very sad loss."

The US military also announced the death in a statement.

“A coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire,” said the statement by combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.

ISIS took control some of Peshmerga frontlines, but the militants were later pushed back with air support by the US-led coalition, military sources said.