Residents Return to Village on Outskirts of Mosul After Islamic State Pushed Out

Kurdish peshmerga forces distributed food and aid to residents of Dirik on Wednesday, October 26, after capturing the village from Islamic State, the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported.

Peshmerga forces surrounded the strategic town of Bashiqa, near Dirik, on Monday. Bashiqa lies on a key supply route into Mosul, the BBC reported, citing a Kurdish commander.

Peshmerga forces attempted to capture Bashiqa last week, but withdrew after fierce clashes with Islamic State militants.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday that Turkish troops were involved in the fight against Islamic State in Bashiqa. The Iraqi military’s joint operations command later denied these claims. Credit: Facebook/Rudaw