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Kurdish Forces Begin Counterattacks Against ISIS Fighters Kurdish Forces Confront ISIS Fighters as U.S. Airstrikes Continue
(about 1 hour later)
ERBIL, Iraq — After two days of American airstrikes against Sunni extremists threatening the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Kurdish forces on Sunday took advantage of a pause to carry out counterattacks in crucial border towns. ERBIL, Iraq — Kurdish forces on Sunday carried out counterattacks against Sunni militants in two crucial border towns, and American aircraft struck the militants in northern Iraq, military officials said.
Kurdish officials said they had retaken the town of Gwer and were on the verge of seizing Mahkmour, where American military planes first struck the positions of fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, on Friday. The American airstrikes, carried out by remotely piloted drones and fighter jets, were intended to protect Kurdish forces near Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, according to a statement by the United States Central Command.
Both towns are about 20 miles from Erbil, the Kurdish regional capital, and advances by ISIS fighters there had briefly panicked residents here. The strikes hit several armed vehicles of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, destroying three and damaging others. The strikes also destroyed an ISIS mortar position, the statement said.
The American airstrikes, although still few in number, seemed to have quickly restored confidence here, with international flights into Erbil resuming after a pause, and business returning to normal. Kurdish officials said they had retaken the town of Gwer and were on the verge of seizing Mahkmour, where American military planes first struck the positions of ISIS fighters on Friday.
The most recent confirmed American airstrikes, four on Saturday, according to United States military officials, were against ISIS positions near Mount Sinjar, where tens of thousands of members of the Yazidi minority had fled before the ISIS advance. Both towns are about 20 miles from Erbil, and advances by ISIS fighters there had briefly panicked residents here.
The American airstrikes seemed to have quickly restored confidence here, with international flights into Erbil resuming after a pause, and business returning to normal.
American military officials said that four American airstrikes on Saturday hit ISIS positions near Mount Sinjar, where tens of thousands of members of the Yazidi minority had fled before the ISIS advance.
American officials said the strikes were compelled by the militants’ vow to kill the Yazidis, whom the Sunni extremists regard as apostates.American officials said the strikes were compelled by the militants’ vow to kill the Yazidis, whom the Sunni extremists regard as apostates.
At least 500 Yazidis have been killed by ISIS fighters since they seized Sinjar this month, said Iraq’s human rights minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to Reuters.
A senior administration official said the United States was aware that a small number of Yazidis on the mountain had found a path into Syria. But the official said the number of the displaced who had managed to leave was in the hundreds, only a small fraction of those stranded there.
The official said the United States did not view the corridor into Syria as a significant part of the solution for rescuing the Yazidis, but rather as an “ad hoc” effort made by the refugees themselves.
The American military did not help to clear the path into Syria, the official said, noting that the Iraqi and Kurdish forces will have to find a way to escort all of the people off the mountain and relocate them to safety.