Peshmerga retake Kirkuk village in surprise attack

KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region—Kurdish Peshmerga forces recaptured a village from the Islamic State (ISIS) south of Kirkuk in the early hours of Monday, Kirkuk police chief said.

Brig. Sarhad Qadir told Rudaw that the Peshmerga attacked ISIS positions in Mura Gawra in the dark of night, capturing the village and killing 14 militants.

Qadir added that the surrounding areas were also cleared of ISIS control.

“The ISIS militants were totally defeated by this Peshmerga attack,” Qadir added.

According to Qadir, a group of ISIS militants relaunched a counterattack against the Peshmerga, “but they were hit back and weren’t able to retake any territory,”

The Kurdish Peshmerga took control of Kirkuk last summer shortly after ISIS captured Mosul from the Iraqi army. Since then they have fought some of their fiercest battles with the radical group south of the city.