Kurdish Forces Drive Islamic State From Southern Kirkuk

Kurdish Peshmerga forces pushed Islamic State militants from several villages in the south of Iraq’s Kirkuk province and away from strategic oilfields, military officials told the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw on Sunday, March 15.

Peshmerga commanders said their forces were within 18 kilometers of Hawija, a town just south of Kirkuk, the oil-rich city that is under Kurdish control. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Peshmerga troops moved into villages near Daquq, reclaiming areas of Kirkuk province that were commandeered by IS eight months ago. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty