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| Kurdish and Iraqi Forces Widen Offensive Against ISIS in Northern Iraq | Kurdish and Iraqi Forces Widen Offensive Against ISIS in Northern Iraq |
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| BAGHDAD — Kurdish fighters and Iraqi security forces opened offensives on Tuesday against Islamic State militants in several parts of northern Iraq, including a vital border crossing between Iraq and Syria and an area straddling a strategic highway to Baghdad, officials said. | BAGHDAD — Kurdish fighters and Iraqi security forces opened offensives on Tuesday against Islamic State militants in several parts of northern Iraq, including a vital border crossing between Iraq and Syria and an area straddling a strategic highway to Baghdad, officials said. |
| In a predawn push, Kurdish pesh merga forces fought their way into the Rabia district, near the Syrian border, seizing control of two villages by late morning, officials said. Fighting elsewhere in the district continued throughout the day as the pesh merga sought to take control of the border crossing, Kurdish officials said. | In a predawn push, Kurdish pesh merga forces fought their way into the Rabia district, near the Syrian border, seizing control of two villages by late morning, officials said. Fighting elsewhere in the district continued throughout the day as the pesh merga sought to take control of the border crossing, Kurdish officials said. |
| The jihadists of Islamic State have controlled Rabia since early June, when they swept across the border from Syria and quickly overwhelmed Iraqi security forces throughout the region, including in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. | The jihadists of Islamic State have controlled Rabia since early June, when they swept across the border from Syria and quickly overwhelmed Iraqi security forces throughout the region, including in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. |
| The militants, who have declared an Islamic caliphate stretching across eastern Syria and western Iraq, have used a major highway between Rabia and Mosul, 70 miles to the southwest, to freely transport fighters, weapons, armored vehicles, supplies between the two countries. | |
| “The militants showed fierce resistance but pesh merga forced them to retreat to the center of the district,” said Helgurd Hikmet Mela Ali, a spokesman for the pesh merga. | “The militants showed fierce resistance but pesh merga forced them to retreat to the center of the district,” said Helgurd Hikmet Mela Ali, a spokesman for the pesh merga. |
| Fighting between the pesh merga and Islamic State also erupted in Zumar, about 40 miles northwest of Mosul, near the reservoir of the Mosul Dam, officials said. Zumar has been the site of periodic clashes since early August when militants captured the area. | Fighting between the pesh merga and Islamic State also erupted in Zumar, about 40 miles northwest of Mosul, near the reservoir of the Mosul Dam, officials said. Zumar has been the site of periodic clashes since early August when militants captured the area. |
| Iraqi and Kurdish officials also reported heavy fighting in Daquq, a district located on the main highway connecting the oil-rich area around Kirkuk with the capital, Baghdad. Islamic State fighters seized control of the area during its June push into northern and central Iraq, commandeering the Kirkuk-Baghdad road along with two other major north-south highways, effectively halting ground transportation between central and northern Iraq. | Iraqi and Kurdish officials also reported heavy fighting in Daquq, a district located on the main highway connecting the oil-rich area around Kirkuk with the capital, Baghdad. Islamic State fighters seized control of the area during its June push into northern and central Iraq, commandeering the Kirkuk-Baghdad road along with two other major north-south highways, effectively halting ground transportation between central and northern Iraq. |
| With the support of airstrikes by warplanes from the United States-led coalition, Iraqi and Kurdish forces pushed into Daquq on Tuesday morning, taking control of the villages of Sa’ad, Khaled and Wadah, about 20 miles south of Kirkuk, officials said. Government forces also took control of Tazah, a district between Kirkuk and Daquq, officials said. | With the support of airstrikes by warplanes from the United States-led coalition, Iraqi and Kurdish forces pushed into Daquq on Tuesday morning, taking control of the villages of Sa’ad, Khaled and Wadah, about 20 miles south of Kirkuk, officials said. Government forces also took control of Tazah, a district between Kirkuk and Daquq, officials said. |
| Iraqi officials also reported that Sunni tribal fighters allied with Iraqi government forces were fighting Islamic State militants in the Rashad district on the highway connecting Kirkuk with Tikrit. | Iraqi officials also reported that Sunni tribal fighters allied with Iraqi government forces were fighting Islamic State militants in the Rashad district on the highway connecting Kirkuk with Tikrit. |
| Successful campaigns in both regions — near the Syrian border and south of Kirkuk — would be a significant boost for the Iraqi government, which has struggled to roll back the Islamic State’s gains around the country and, in places, has continued to cede ground. | Successful campaigns in both regions — near the Syrian border and south of Kirkuk — would be a significant boost for the Iraqi government, which has struggled to roll back the Islamic State’s gains around the country and, in places, has continued to cede ground. |
| But should the coalition of Iraqi forces prevail, it remained unclear which unit would assume responsibility for holding Daquq and Zumar. Both districts fall within the so-called disputed territories claimed by both the government of Kurdistan and the central government of Iraq. | But should the coalition of Iraqi forces prevail, it remained unclear which unit would assume responsibility for holding Daquq and Zumar. Both districts fall within the so-called disputed territories claimed by both the government of Kurdistan and the central government of Iraq. |
| The Kurdistan government exploited the power vacuum caused by the Islamic State’s lightning advance in June, and the rationale of regional security and the Iraqi army’s feeble response, to progressively seize control of the disputed territories. | The Kurdistan government exploited the power vacuum caused by the Islamic State’s lightning advance in June, and the rationale of regional security and the Iraqi army’s feeble response, to progressively seize control of the disputed territories. |
| In addition to Daquq and Zumar, which is also in the disputed territories, the pesh merga have been trying to drive Islamic State militants out of Jalawla and Sinjar. | In addition to Daquq and Zumar, which is also in the disputed territories, the pesh merga have been trying to drive Islamic State militants out of Jalawla and Sinjar. |
| “The plan is to get our lands back, set the border, get our bunkers strong and then wait for orders,” Mr. Ali, the pesh merga spokesman, said in a recent interview. “That’s our right: to be ambitious.” | “The plan is to get our lands back, set the border, get our bunkers strong and then wait for orders,” Mr. Ali, the pesh merga spokesman, said in a recent interview. “That’s our right: to be ambitious.” |
| Mr. Ali also said that after suffering several humiliating setbacks soon after Islamic State’s push into northern Iraq, the morale of the Kurdish forces had rebounded. | Mr. Ali also said that after suffering several humiliating setbacks soon after Islamic State’s push into northern Iraq, the morale of the Kurdish forces had rebounded. |
| “If you compare the pesh merga today and a month ago, you can tell there’s higher morale, better readiness, and we’ve been able to take back some locations,” he said. | “If you compare the pesh merga today and a month ago, you can tell there’s higher morale, better readiness, and we’ve been able to take back some locations,” he said. |
| But the gains had come at a cost, he said: About 200 pesh merga soldiers have died in the fighting, and about 1,000 have been wounded. | But the gains had come at a cost, he said: About 200 pesh merga soldiers have died in the fighting, and about 1,000 have been wounded. |
| Elsewhere in Iraq on Tuesday, three bombs concealed on roads in Baghdad killed seven people and wounded 32, an official at the Interior Ministry said. Two car bombs were detonated near the city of Hilla, in the south, killing four and wounding 16, officials said. Another car bomb was detonated in Karbala, also in southern Iraq, killing six and wounding 14. | Elsewhere in Iraq on Tuesday, three bombs concealed on roads in Baghdad killed seven people and wounded 32, an official at the Interior Ministry said. Two car bombs were detonated near the city of Hilla, in the south, killing four and wounding 16, officials said. Another car bomb was detonated in Karbala, also in southern Iraq, killing six and wounding 14. |