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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — An Islamic State (ISIS) emir was killed by Peshmerga forces during a two-day operation against the group near Kifri town, according to a commander.
Barham Mohammed, commander from Peshmerga Forces’ Unit 70, told Rudaw that the operation targeted several ISIS sleeper cells in Mount Ghara near Kifri town on Thursday. The operation was supported by US-led Coalition forces.
Mohammed reports that eight ISIS positions were destroyed in the operation, which saw the killing of an emir reportedly named Othman. The commander described the raid as “retaliation” for the deaths of two Kurdish shepherds in the same village after an improvised bomb, suspected to be planted by ISIS, exploded on January 12.
Kifri town is located near Tuz Khurmatu and Kalar, in the Garmiyan administration. It is governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The Peshmerga commander noted that they spotted two additional ISIS members in the village with the aid of drones, adding that the militants were able to escape through the assistance of a shepherd. Peshmerga and the coalition forces were not able to target them due to the presence of civilians, he claims.
Mohammed added that Iraqi army fired at the ISIS militants, but they got away.
“They were able to cross the Hamrin river and then reach the Hamrin mountains,” he noted.
“Previously, we had information about the escape of Daesh fighters in two military vehicles and five motorcycles in the area,” the commander added, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
ISIS controlled swaths of Iraqi land in summer 2014, but the Iraqi army announced the territorial defeat of the group in December 2017. The militant group’s sleeper cells are still present in rugged areas and those areas that are disputed between Erbil and Baghdad. The group has exploited the lack of coordination between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces there.
An improvised explosive device suspected to be set by ISIS sleeper cells in Makhmour town killed four members of a Kurdish family on October 21.
With reporting by Halo Mohammed
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