SULAIMANI – (ESTA) 10 years ago, on this day, the first confrontation against ISIS fighters was recorded and victory was declared in the liberation of Makhmur and the protection of Erbil.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the liberation of the town of Makhmur from the hands of ISIS fighters, which was carried out by the general directorate of Counter-Terrorism (CTG) forces and Peshmergas of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) under the direct supervision of Bafel Jalal Talabani.
Before that day, not only Makhmur but also Erbil were under threat from terrorist groups. People fled in droves because they had seen the PDK Peshmergas flee from Sinjar and then Makhmur itself. Makhmur was liberated and Erbil was kept safe.
“It was exactly 10 years ago, just a few days after the capture of Sinjar and opening the battlefields to ISIS terrorists and evacuating several areas without defense and a threat falling on Erbil, that the forces of the CTG could clear Makhmur from terrorists in an hour and a half،” said Wahab Halabjaei, Director of the General Directorate of Counter-Terrorism.
Also, the director of CTG said that “as President Bafel Jalal Talabani pointed out, only 88 CTG Peshmergas were able to liberate Makhmur and the terrorist organization suffered its first defeat at the hands of the CTG boys in Kurdistan.”.
Lieutenant Ayub Yousef, the supervisor of the 3rd and 7th Special Brigades, said that “ISIS counterattacked with a large force and most of the forces and brigades withdrew except us, who did not retreat and defeated ISIS.”.
He added that “the CTG forces and several Peshmerga brigades participated in the fighting and played an important role.”.
