Peshmergas Will Have Effective Role in Hawija Operation: Townsend


Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces will have an "effective" role in the imminent operation to free the town of Hawija from the Islamic State (IS), stated the commander of the US-led coalition against the IS.


Addressing reports on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend stated he does not wish to reveal details of the operation but can confirm that Peshmerga will have an "effective" role in it.


The operation to liberate Hawija (about 60 km southwest of Kirkuk) is yet to start.
Iraqi airplanes on Thursday dropped millions of leaflets on Hawija (last IS stronghold in Iraq), telling the residents that “riddance from Daesh (Islamic State)” was close, Iraqi Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said.


Townsend paid tribute to the role of Peshmerga troops in the three years of battle against the Islamic extremists, saying the first bullet in the major operation to free Mosul was shot by Peshmerga forces, paving the way for Iraqi forces to enter the city.


He also mentioned that Kurdistan forces were able to eliminate up to 170 militants who tried to flee the war in Tel Afar.


The commander of the US-led coalition against IS also noted that the coalition forces pounded the route through which the IS militants tried to reach the Iraqi borders and temporarily hindered their tour.


By virtue of a recent deal between the Lebanese Hezbollah militias and the IS, sanctioned by the Syrian regime, 300 IS fighters with their families left Syria-Lebanon borders for eastern borders of Syria near Iraq's Anbar province.


The IS members were transported by buses to the destinations in exchange for the bodies of Iranian soldiers killed in the battle against the extremists.


Townshend stated according to their intelligence information, the militants have now changed their route and are moving into the center of Syria.


He added the coalition forces keeps an eye on the IS force to target them whenever there is a distance between them and their women and children.


Iraqi officials and MPs indicated some of these relocated IS militants have already arrived from Al-Bukamal city of Syria in the town of Qa'em in Anbar.

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