EXCLUSIVE: ISIS 'weak' in Makhmour, says Kurdish commander

MAKHMOUR, Kurdistan Region - General Najat Ali Salih, known affectionately to his Peshmerga as Najat Ali Fateh, is the top commander of the Makhmour front less than 40km from the Kurdistan region's capital, Erbil. 

His troops have been dug in against the Islamic State, or ISIS, for nearly 18 months, fending off near daily ground and artillery attacks.

Salih said the recent rocket attacks in the area, and the proven use of chemical weapons by ISIS, are signs of the weak state of the extremists' forces. 

"The attacks on civilians are a way of saying, 'We are still strong.' But they are much weaker than before," Salih said in an exclusive interview. 

The legendary commander spoke with Rudaw's Zhelwan about Peshmerga salaries, the Hashd al-Shaabi, and the future of disputed areas in the post-ISIS era.