SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Peshmerga forces thwarted another Islamic State (ISIS) attack in Kifri district late on Sunday, the ministry of Peshmerga said.
The militants attacked a unit of the Peshmerga forces in Kifri in the Garmian administration at 10:18 p.m. on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.
The Peshmerga forces “bravely” responded to the attack and started to pursue the militants, the ministry added.
“The situation is now under the control of the Peshmerga forces and the Peshmerga are continuing to chase the terrorists,” it said.
Tonight’s attack came one day after the militants attacked another unit of the Kurdish forces in Kulajo sub-district in Kifri.
Five Peshmerga were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) hit a military vehicle of the Kurdish forces who went to support the forces ISIS attacked.
ISIS militants have increased attacks against Iraqi and Kurdish forces in the disputed areas claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad.
Earlier this month, the militants carried out two attacks against the Peshmerga forces in the disputed areas.
On October 31, two members of the Peshmerga forces were killed in another ISIS attack near Prde, south of Erbil.
The Peshmerga ministry said the militants continued to use a security gap between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces to attack the Peshmerga.
Earlier on Sunday, Kurdish officials called for more coordination between the Peshmerga, Iraqi military and U.S.-led Coalition forces to protect the disputed territories.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December 2017 but the militants have regrouped in the Hamrin mountain range which extends into the northern provinces – an area described by officials as a “triangle of death”.
