Peshmerga launch assault to liberate Shingal

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched an a dawn assault Thursday liberate the town of Shingal from the so-called Islamic State, or ISIS, Rudaw correspondent Dildar Harki said from the scene of the fighting.

Harki said the Peshmerga assault was launched at 7am on Thursday using heavy weapons.

“At least 7,500 Peshmerga fighters are participating in the Shingal operation. The Peshmerga commander said today is the decision day for Shingal," a Peshmerga commander told Harki.

“Since Wednesday night the US-led coalition carried out a wave of airstrikes on the center of Shingal and Peshmerga fighters launched different assaults with many heavy weapons," the commander said.

The ISIS militants attacked the predominantly Kurdish Yezidi town of Shingal on August 1, 2014, triggering a grim humanitarian crisis as thousands of locals fled to the safety of the nearby Mount Shingal where they were trapped for weeks.