SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdish forces launched an operation against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in the province of Kirkuk on Sunday (October 25), a Peshmerga commander said.
Commander of Kirkuk frontline Hiwa Abdulla told reporters that the Peshmerga forces had carried out an operation against ISIS militants in Sheikh Bzeni in Shwan sub-district in north of Kirkuk.
“This area is located between the Peshmerga forces and the [Iraqi] security forces, and the lack of coordination and agreement between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi forces has increased ISIS movement,” Abdulla said.
“Three youths were martyred here in the place where we are and that has created a bad situation for the residents of this area,” he added.
ISIS militants sporadically attack Iraqi security forces and civilians in Kirkuk, Diyala, Salahuddin, Anbar and Nineveh provinces.
The federal government announced victory over Islamic State by the end of 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition regained control of areas once captured by the militant group.
Despite its defeat, ISIS still poses a threat to the security and stability of the country as there are still sleeper cells in Iraq.
