The outskirts of Sinjar form one of the most important frontlines against Islamic State in Iraq.
The city was once the heartland of the Yazidi people, but since the militants arrived, this rural hub has been a war zone.
The main road that runs through Sinjar links Mosul to Raqqa, making the area strategically important to both Islamic State and the Kurdish forces trying to drive them out.
Brigadier General Ezadeen Saddo is leading the Peshmerga’s efforts to retake the city.
He said his forces have been ready for months, but they have been waiting for a dramatic increase in coalition airstrikes.
“In the battlefield, we have some officers who are directly in touch with the operations room in Erbil,” he said.
They use GPS to choose their target, and the operations room gives it to the aircraft.
And…
“After that, the Peshmerga on the ground and the mortar units will use this information so that the offensive is successful as soon as possible.”
Kurdish forces face difficult combat conditions as they start to move in and fight Islamic State house to house.”
Sounds an awful lot like Fallujah for the Kurds. Father Frank can relate.
