Peshmerga on alert as coalition war planes pound targets near Makhmour
Ahmed Sadiq, a Peshmerga commander, said the first airstrikes occurred at 08:05 a.m. He later said the coalition war planes conducted four strikes which lasted about 20 minutes and then had halted.
In the late-morning the Peshmerga said the air strikes resumed. The Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces are on alert to respond to any possible ISIS attack.
Sirwan Barzani, Peshmerga commander of Gwer-Makhmour Front, provided details that the strikes were aimed at “35 ISIS militants.”
"Coalition war planes have conducted nine heavy air strikes from morning to noon, targeting tunnels and bases of ISIS. We assume there are 35 ISIS militants in the west of Qarachogh. The group suffered great material losses and we expect death and injuries as well,” said Barzani.
The Peshmerga, a partnered ground force of the coalition, have monitored ISIS movements in the area.
"The coalition airstrikes were conducted in coordination with Peshmerga forces because ISIS militants are not very distant from Peshmerga," Barzani added.
Muzafar Jaafar, a Peshmerga commander, said they have intelligence that ISIS plans to attack the area, adding that Iraqi government's role and military presence is very weak in these villages.
"After the October 16 events and the arrival of Iraqi Army and Hashd al-Shaabi to Khanaqin, Kirkuk, Makhmour and Shingal, we have not have any coordination with these forces and there is much land that is not controlled by Iraqi Army," said Chief of Staff of Peshmerga Ministry Jamal Imniki.
The coalition was not able to provide further details on the recent developments.
Spokesperson US Army Col. Sean Ryan told Rudaw English on Saturday, "there have been ongoing operations with the ISF and Peshmerga in the area, but they are the lead."
A recent uptick in the disputed areas between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces has led to an increase in killings, kidnappings, robberies, and ransoms by groups the Kurdistan Region Security Council considers to be ISIS remnants.
ISIS was declared defeated in Iraq in December 2017 by former PM Haider al-Abadi. Kurdish officials have cautioned a military victory over ISIS will not defeat its idealogy.
Rudaw
