KIRKUK, Kurdistan Region – An Islamic State militant who entered Kirkuk disguised as a refugee confessed to killing “several Peshmerga” after his capture by security forces.
“Based on information we obtained, we were able to capture an ISIS militant inside Kirkuk and investigations of him are ongoing,” Farhad Hama Ali, an official from the Kirkuk security forces, told Rudaw.
The Asayesh (security forces) captured the militant in Kirkuk after he deserted the battlefields and reached the city disguising himself as a refugee among people fleeing Riyadh and Rashad.
“The captured ISIS militant – an Arab national – is named Ahmed. He has worked with ISIS’ Sharia court in Hawija and was a guard in several health offices. And he has confessed to taking part in several confrontations against the Peshmerga, martyring some Peshmerga soldiers,” said a Rudaw reporter, Hiwa Husamadin, who conducted a short interview with the captured militant.
“I have killed several Peshmerga,” Ahmed confessed, adding that he was a “militant fighting for ISIS with a Kalashnikov and I participated in several battles against the Peshmerga.”
The militant explained that he joined ISIS, pledging allegiance to the group in 2015 in Hawija. “They told me that I had to support the Islamic State and fight against the Peshmerga.”
He added that he saw a number of Peshmerga wearing orange jumpsuits in cages in Hawija. ISIS took them captive after the group launched a massive assault against the Peshmerga in early 2015.
“I saw the Peshmerga who were in orange jumpsuits. We paraded them in Hawija’s streets and later we transferred them to prison,” he said.
Speaking of the current situation in Hawija, Ahmad revealed, “Things in Hawija are very bad in terms of everything. I also saw Mullah Shwan Kurdi speaking with people in the bazaar; his name was Abu Harun in Hawija. He was in charge of monitoring clothes and the bazaar. He was killed by coalition airstrikes.”
The Kirkuk security official Hama Ali added that the recent victories over ISIS have meant many militants are deserting and fleeing to Kirkuk or Mosul.
“Those who are fleeing to Kirkuk among the refugees want to hide themselves. And [Ahmed] is one of those who has escaped the group and reached Kirkuk, but in a raid we arrested him.”
The Peshmerga, Iraqi army, and coalition forces continue to defeat ISIS on the battlefield. Over Sunday and Monday, the Peshmerga captured a group of villages on the Khazir and Gwer fronts, killing 130 militants. On Tuesday, the Peshmerga killed another 60 militants in the outskirts of Shingal.
“Based on information we obtained, we were able to capture an ISIS militant inside Kirkuk and investigations of him are ongoing,” Farhad Hama Ali, an official from the Kirkuk security forces, told Rudaw.
The Asayesh (security forces) captured the militant in Kirkuk after he deserted the battlefields and reached the city disguising himself as a refugee among people fleeing Riyadh and Rashad.
“The captured ISIS militant – an Arab national – is named Ahmed. He has worked with ISIS’ Sharia court in Hawija and was a guard in several health offices. And he has confessed to taking part in several confrontations against the Peshmerga, martyring some Peshmerga soldiers,” said a Rudaw reporter, Hiwa Husamadin, who conducted a short interview with the captured militant.
“I have killed several Peshmerga,” Ahmed confessed, adding that he was a “militant fighting for ISIS with a Kalashnikov and I participated in several battles against the Peshmerga.”
The militant explained that he joined ISIS, pledging allegiance to the group in 2015 in Hawija. “They told me that I had to support the Islamic State and fight against the Peshmerga.”
He added that he saw a number of Peshmerga wearing orange jumpsuits in cages in Hawija. ISIS took them captive after the group launched a massive assault against the Peshmerga in early 2015.
“I saw the Peshmerga who were in orange jumpsuits. We paraded them in Hawija’s streets and later we transferred them to prison,” he said.
Speaking of the current situation in Hawija, Ahmad revealed, “Things in Hawija are very bad in terms of everything. I also saw Mullah Shwan Kurdi speaking with people in the bazaar; his name was Abu Harun in Hawija. He was in charge of monitoring clothes and the bazaar. He was killed by coalition airstrikes.”
The Kirkuk security official Hama Ali added that the recent victories over ISIS have meant many militants are deserting and fleeing to Kirkuk or Mosul.
“Those who are fleeing to Kirkuk among the refugees want to hide themselves. And [Ahmed] is one of those who has escaped the group and reached Kirkuk, but in a raid we arrested him.”
The Peshmerga, Iraqi army, and coalition forces continue to defeat ISIS on the battlefield. Over Sunday and Monday, the Peshmerga captured a group of villages on the Khazir and Gwer fronts, killing 130 militants. On Tuesday, the Peshmerga killed another 60 militants in the outskirts of Shingal.
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