Barzani: In Pursuing Terrorists Peshmerga Are to Protect Civilians

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region-- As Kurdish forces continue their fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Nineveh and Diyala provinces, President Massoud Barzani has asked the Peshmerga to protect civilians and their properties.

“We inform all the military units that are participating in the war against the terrorists that they must commit to the high moral standards that Kurds have been known for historically,” said Barzani in a directive to the Ministry of Peshmerga. “That is to protect the civilians and their properties while pursuing the terrorists.”

The president said the Peshmerga forces should distinguish civilians from militants, adding, “But have no mercy on terrorists and those who supported them."

A Kurdish commander told Rudaw on Friday that his forces had expelled IS militants from the villages of Sufya and Khan Sufya near Zumar and Rabia.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in the areas west of Mosul dam.

“Fierce fighting continued for 12 hours in Sahrij village (west of Mosul dam) and the Peshmerga forces were able to control the village,” Brig. Hussein Hado, a Peshmerga commander told Rudaw.

According to Hado, control of Sahrij cuts off Islamist militants in Zumar from Mosul.

The Kurdish commander added that after the control of the Mosul road and a number of villages in the area, the IS fighters “are demoralized tremendously” and that the Kurdish forces have advanced 10km towards the town of Zumar.

Hado said that the Kurdish forces had inflicted heavy casualties on the IS fighters, “tens of their dead bodies are left in Sahrij village in addition to a number of Humvees and heavy weapons.”