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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Islamic State (ISIS) militants attacked Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Kolajo (Golajo), Diyala province near the Iraq-Iran border late Wednesday, according to reports from the scene. Initial reports suggest injuries and fatalities.
The attack comes just days after ISIS killed three Kurdish security force personnel (Asayesh) in the area.
Located in the Garmiyan area, the village of Dakay Sarcham, where the attack took place, is roughly a kilometer from where the three Asayesh men, including their commander, were killed in ISIS shelling on November 30.
In the face of this ISIS resurgence, the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs called on the international community to increase its military support.
More Peshmerga forces have been deployed to the area, he said.
The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs confirmed the attack, claiming its forces had repelled the ISIS assault.
ISIS attacked Peshmerga forces in Kolajo but “the attack was soon repelled by Peshmerga forces who chased them and repelled the attack,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We assure the people of Kurdistan that Peshmerga forces are on full alert to protect the people and soil of Kurdistan and terminate terror,” it added.
The ministry did not confirm casualties.
It called on its allies in the international coalition to defeat ISIS to “increase its aid, support, and coordination with Peshmerga forces and the ministry in order to prevent the spread of terrorist groups.”
Rudaw’s reporter said local units of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, attacked ISIS positions in aid of the Peshmerga.
Kolajo in the Garmiyan Region south of Kirkuk has witnessed several attacks by ISIS remnants and sleeper cells. The area is currently under the control of Kurdish Peshmerga and Asayesh.
Sirwan Barzani, a Peshmerga commander, told Rudaw that ISIS will pose a “serious threat” to Iraq if it is not contained.
He said some ISIS foreign fighters have moved from Syria to Iraq since their defeat in Baghouz in March 2019.
The latest Pentagon inspector general report covering July 1 to Oct 25 said ISIS has continued to cement and expand its command and control structure in Iraq, enabling the group to stage more attacks.
“ISIS in Iraq conducted both attacks of opportunity, such as improvised bombs and hit-and-run attacks, and attacks designed to intimidate or gain influence, such as assassinations, kidnappings, and sniper attacks,” the report read, citing the Combined Joint Task Force–OIR (CJTF-OIR) which leads the fights against ISIS.
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