Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces have gained more ground against ISIL Takfiri militants by liberating the strategic town of Sultan Abdullah from their grip.
Peshmerga fighters managed to take full control of the town, located between the ISIL-controlled city of Mosul and the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, Erbil, after engaging in fierce battles with the extremist group.
“This region is strategic to us. It has two main roads that connect Mosul to Erbil and Mosul to Gwer, south of Erbil. The Tigris River also passes here and many nearby villages receive their water supply from Sultan Abdullah,” said Zerian Sheikh Wassan, a Kurdish commander heading an operation in the area.
The situation is reported to be extremely tough in the town as ISIL is not willing to retreat, while Kurds say losing the town would jeopardize Erbil.
The new gains came as Sunni tribesmen have joined forces with Kurdish fighters in their battle.
“We have been living under ISIL occupation for months. The clans here have recruited many of their kins who are able to fight in popular committees. ISIL took us back to the Stone Age with their brutality. We had to defend ourselves,” said Fares Abdullah al-Fares, the commander of Nineveh Popular Committee.
Peshmerga fighters have recently succeeded in breaking the siege of Mount Sinjar in northwestern Iraq and delivered aid to the Izadi Kurds who had been stranded in the area for months.
The ISIL terrorists control some parts of Syria and Iraq. They are engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control. The Iraqi army, backed by Shia and Sunni fighters, has so far managed to make many gains in the fight against the ISIL.
