...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
(ISIS) in Gwer town after festivities between villagers and suspected krazed killers.
After recent attacks in the area, "we suspected that [ISIS krazed killers] had infiltrated into Peshmerga territories," read a statement from the Peshmerga ministry.
The Peshmerga carried out search and clearance operations in the vicinity of Gwer district, 50 kilometers west of Erbil. The first operation in the morning lasted three hours and was followed by a second in the afternoon "to further ensure the residents of the area" that they are safe, according to the statement.
The ministry did not mention if any ISIS fighters were arrested or killed.
Abbas Mohammed is a resident of Kapran village. He said that some villagers have spotted four gunnies they suspect were ISIS members.
"I personally saw a person running and we shot at him, but he was not hit due to trees," he told Rudaw’s Behroz Faraidun on Friday, adding that a shepherd was briefly kidnapped and said after his release that the abductors were ISIS members.
The shepherd, aged 16 or 17, was seized by faceless myrmidons who called out to him and grabbed him when he approached. It is unclear how he was released but he was "terrified" after his ordeal, said Asi Ali, another resident of the same Kurdish village.
Some residents have reportedly abandoned their homes.
Gwer is located in an area disputed between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). It has been a safe haven for ISIS sleeper cells because of the security gap between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces, as well as the rugged landscape. ISIS has taken advantage of the situation to move around, harass local residents, and carry out attacks.
ISIS button men killed a resident of Kapran village late last month who was going fishing on a nearby river.
Erbil and Baghdad have discussed establishing joint brigades to secure areas between their forces such as around Gwer. Talks stalled because of elections and a year of political wrangling to form a government, but funds for two joint brigades are included in the draft 2023 budget.
On Friday, the Peshmerga forces conducted a search and inspection operation in response to an attack by ISIS on the Iraqi army forces.
The operation was carried out by the Twenty-First Infantry Brigade of the Ministry of Peshmerga within their sector of responsibility—the process aimed to locate and eliminate ISIS members who may have infiltrated the area.
According to a statement of the Peshmerga, the operation involved the participation of the second regiment and a commando brigade, specifically targeting rugged and dense areas suspected of harboring ISIS members.
The operation concluded in the morning, indicating that the initial phase was completed successfully. However, a second phase was initiated in the afternoon to strengthen security measures further and reassure the local population.