Posted on 08/31/2014 2:59:46 AM PDT by GonzoII
Iraq
2 hours ago
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdish and Iraqi forces fighting to lift a two-month siege of Amerli by the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) were swiftly advancing on the Shiite Turkmen town on Sunday and had the militants on retreat.
The joint, three-pronged advance toward Amerli began Saturday, and was backed by US airstrikes on the outskirts of the town on Sunday.
IS armies have surrounded Amerli for the past two months, cutting off the estimated 20,000 population from food, water and electricity. Reports from inside paint a shocking picture of a slowly starving population.
A Rudaw correspondent on the frontlines reported that Peshmerga forces had gained control of Ghamas, Habash and Khasadani, three strategic villages surrounding Amerli, and that the militants were in swift retreat.
“Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army, alongside volunteer Shiites, are advancing towards Amerli to fight the IS militants,” said Major Faruq Ahmed, the Asayesh (security) director in the town of Tuz Khurmatu.
“They are attacking from multiple positions, from Kifre to Uzzaim,” he said.
“Peshmarga are making progress in between Khurmatu and Tikrit (140 kilometers northwest of Baghdad) to also liberate the area that has been controlled by ISIS for over two months,” Ahmed said.
He added that the village of Suleiman Beg, as well as the Kirkuk-Baghdad highway, were still not liberated.
Mahdi Taqyyedin, from the the Amerli municipality, also reported US air drops of humanitarian aid. “US planes have been dropping aid to the Amerli citizens, which is relieving their suffering somewhat.”
The residents are in danger because of their Shiite sect, which the Sunni Muslim militants perceive to be heretical. Non-Muslim populations, like the Yezidis and Christians have already felt the full scale of the IS brutality, with killings, kidnappings and capture of their homes and properties.
Turkmen are among the largest ethnic groups in Iraq, and have long been subject to militant attacks, both for their ethnicity and faith.
The UN secretary general’s representative in Iraq, Nikolay Mladenov, called for immediate action to avert a massacre in Amerli last week.
“I urge the Iraqi government to do all it can to relieve the siege and to ensure that the residents receive lifesaving humanitarian assistance or are evacuated in a dignified manner,” he said.
“Iraq’s allies and the international community should work with the authorities to prevent a human rights tragedy,” he added.
when they retreat, i would suggest chasing them! when they retreat more, i would suggest chasing more, and don’t stop chasing until they are pushed into the big pond, mo matter how far that is and leave them for fish food!
Mike
The world is ONLY NOW waking up to realize that all the BS about UN-Paleostinian “Rights” for the last 20 years is NOTHING compared with what we face now!
Israel attacked ISIS/HAMAS/MB/Jihadists in Gaza and the world cries with the Paleostinians who hate America, Israel and the West.
Wake the F-— up West, wake up!
Obama will find some way to betray the Kurds.
Drive them back into Saudi Arabia where they came from.
If they are retreating they are on the move and out in the open. Think Highway of Death...if we would take advantage of it.
Once the well known lines between Sunni and Shia towns are reestablished, the chasing will cease.
The real Problem is that Obama is at heart a Muslim,his whole world is too be a friend of these Muslim Terrorists.
His whole being is to avoid the truth in front of him,that a great number of Muslims are intent on ruling the world..
Their actions make Hitler, Stalin and Mao loof reasonable.
May God help us defeat them in spite of Obama.
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