Peshmerga thwart ISIS in Shingal, as Iraqi forces kill 33 near Baghdad

SHINGAL, Kurdistan Region – Peshmerga forces repulsed three early morning assaults by Islamic State (ISIS) in Shingal on Saturday, as Baghdad announced that its forces had killed 33 militants in clashes on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital.

“ISIS militants launched three assaults on Peshmerga bases inside Shingal, but we repulsed all the futile assaults,” a Peshmerga source said.

He said the militants had used heavy weapons, and that the two forces had come within about 50 meters of each other during the intense battles. The Peshmerga suffered no casualties, and bad weather prevented the assessment of casualties on enemy forces, the source added. 

Meanwhile, the Baghdad operations commander, Saad Maan, announced that 33 militants were killed and several military vehicles operated by ISIS were destroyed in fighting in the areas of Halabsa and Nabai, near the Iraqi capital.

“A leader of the group was among them (the dead),” the operations commander said. “We also captured weapons and ammunition left behind” said Maan.

“We also were able to defuse some 12 planted bombs as well as 17 booby traps planted in homes,” he said. “The operations will continue, to go after the militants wherever they may be on the outskirts of Baghdad.”