ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Social media accounts associated with the Islamic State have claimed in Monday pre-dawn assaults on the Kurdish Peshmerga west of Kirkuk the jihadists killed several Peshmerga and took one captive.
The Peshmerga have since claimed to have defeated the ISIS assault aimed at capturing an important oil facility in the area, but have not released any information about their casualties or the alleged captured Peshmerga.
"More than 600 ISIS fighters launched an attack on Talwra, Big Homeyra, Small Homeyra, Al-Murra and Shahid villages, but they were defeated by the Peshmerga,” a Peshmerga officer who gave his name only as Wasta Rasul told Rudaw early Monday.
Kurdish estimates indicated that more than 100 ISIS fighters were killed and injured in Monday’s battles.
ISIS forces attempted to take control of the Syryani oil refinery in southeastern Kirkuk, but the Peshmerga were able to destroy two ISIS Humvees and defend the cluster of villages around the refinery, according to Rasul.
