Peshmerga in street battle to flush out ISIS from Shingal

SHINGAL, Kurdistan Region: One week of intense fighting between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Islamic State (ISIS) has left many militants dead, especially inside the town of Shingal, said Rudaw correspondent.

Kurdish military officials said that they have killed 227 ISIS militants since major operations against the radical group began last week.

There are the bodies of about 70 dead ISIS militants inside a mosque in Shingal, said Hevidar Ahmed who is embedded with the Peshmerga forces for Rudaw TV.

Elsewhere the Peshmerga found the bodies of another 28 militants killed in the latest confrontations, he said.

The Peshmerga are locked in a street battle in parts of Shingal to flush out a group of militants who captured the Kurdish Yezidi town in August.

Our correspondent said that ISIS has brought in more fighters from Tal Afar and Baaj to strengthen the frontlines against the Peshmerga forces.

Local sources said that ISIS had transferred the bodies of 126 militants to Mosul from the Shingal area on the weekend.

In a major ground assault last week the Kurdish forces lifted a four-month siege on Mount Shingal and captured hundreds of square kilometers from the group west of the Tigris River.