JALAWLA, Kurdistan Region—The Kurdish Peshmerga forces restrict Shiite militia activity in Jalawla and they do not allow any Iraqi forces to enter the town without permission, said a Peshmerga commander.

“The Shiite militia in Jalawla are not allowed to do anything without consulting with the Peshmerga,” Colonel Dara Hamakhan told Rudaw.

“A police force from Diyala tried to enter Jalawla but we stopped them and made them turn back,” he added.

Col. Hamakhan of the Peshmerga ministry said that members of the Shiite Badr Brigade are present in Jalawla, but “they consult with the Peshmerga on everything they do.”

He added that both sides also coordinate on clearing bombs and explosives planted inside homes and on the streets by the Islamic State (ISIS) for the safe return of the town’s residents.

“We have information that certain families had collaborated with the ISIS and the homes of those families will be demolished,” Col. Hamakhan said.

He added some other buildings were also demolished “because it was too dangerous to try to diffuse the bombs.”

Rudaw