ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — In a bid to open the road connecting Raqqa, Syria, with Mosul, Iraq, and to push Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary out of western Nineveh province, ISIS has launched a massive assault on the group including 10 car bombs since early Sunday evening and clashes continued into the evening.
“Since 4 p.m., ISIS militants started counterattacks against the Hashd al-Shaabi from Tal Afar, Baaj and Blaij and clashes are still ongoing,” Hashm Sitai, a high-ranking Kurdish Peshmerga commander confirmed to Rudaw, describing the ISIS counterattack as “the newest and the heaviest ISIS attack.”
Raqqa and Mosul have been ISIS’s last strongholds in each country.
“From two fronts, Tal Afar and Baaj, they are launching assaults with heavy weapons and car bombs and they have targeted Hashd al-Shaabi with 10 car bombs,” Sitai said.
Sitai said both sides have casualties, but he was unable to provide specific numbers.
He added that Peshmerga forces are on alert for the possibility of spillover into nearby Peshmerga positions.
“[They] have not inflicted any damage on the Peshmerga,” Sitai said. “But, if Hashd al-Shaabi were defeated, it would negatively impact Peshmerga’s movements.”
On the previous day, ISIS militants ambushed and killed six Kurdish members of Hashd al-Shaabi in Diyala Province.
The Hashd forces are participating in the Mosul operation and they are designated to clear western Nineveh Province of ISIS militants, most notably in the Turkmen town of Tal Afar.
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