At 3 am ISIS terrorists launched today one of the most massive large-scale offensives on Sinjar since the takeover of that region. Commanders of Ezidi militias tell ezidiPress that hundreds of fighters are surrounded in Borik, Duhola and at the pilgrimage site of Sharfadeen. From all sides the terrorists attack again the region with a massive contingent of fighters, succeeding in surrounding several Ezidi localities.

The terrorists have advanced with more than 40 armoured Humvee vehicles alone to the village complex of Duhola and managed to surround around 100 Ezidi resistance fighters located there. All civilians have fled to the mountain. Commanders of the resistance units are currently trying to defend the pilgrimage site, Supreme Commander Haydar Shesho and General Qasim Shesho refuse to give up the Ezidis´ holy shrine.

Without air support, the terrorists will massacre both the fighters and civlians, said one of the fighters. Helicopters of the anti-ISIS coalition were present but did not conduct attacks.

.

Update 11:00 am: Duhola and Borik have fallen to ISIS. Only the pilgrimage Sharfadeen is being defended now, the resistance fighters try to stop the terrorists´ advance to the mountain – without success. They have nothing to offer opposition to the massive ISIS contingent of fighters.

Update 11:07 am: Over 7,000 civilians and hundreds of fighters have fled to the mountains and are trying to protect themselves there. Several hundred fighters and their commanders do not want to give up the pilgrimage site and continue to defend it.

.

Update 11:40 am: The mountain is now completely besieged. Fighters of the resistance units desperately try to hold the terrorists back from an invasion of the mountain. Over 7000 civlians remained on the mountain, should the terrorists manage to break through the defense line, massacres will be imminent again. The Ezidis have nothing to counter the terrorists´ armoured vehicles.

Update 12:08 am: Suicide bombers of the Islamic State are now trying to penetrate into the mountain. A mist, however, reduces the Ezidi fighters´ visibility. A suicide bomber is said to have been blown himself up, information on victims are currently not available.

Update 12:40 am: Fighters of the Ezidi defense unit have killed five ISIS terrorists in clashes in the northern part of the mountain. According to the Ezidi fighters, fighter jets of the coaltion forces are flying across the area, without intervening so far.

.

Update 12:53 am: ISIS extremists advance to the Sharfadeen sanctuary. The Ezidi fighters who are deployed there refuse to leave the pilgrimage site. The central pilgrimage site in the region will be defended at any cost.

Update 13:20 am: Two Ezidi resistance fighters have lost their lives in clashes with ISIS terrorists in the northern part of the mountain. Ezidi commanders urgently ask for airstrikes, stating that otherwise there would be no chance for them counter the terror squads. The major ISIS offensive seems to be a coordinated action regarding the fact that clashes also erupted between terrorist forces and Peshmerga soldiers in the last hours in areas of the Kurdish autonomous region.

Update 13:33 am: ISIS terrorists have reached the access road to the Sharfadeen sanctuary, heavy clashes are being reported. The civilians persevere in the mountain and hope for support by airstrikes from the coalition forces.

Update 14:06 pm: An ezidiPress correspondent reports that ISIS has started massive attacks on the Sharfadeen sanctuary. If airstikres are not being conducted, the pilgrimage site will be destroyed, tightening ISIS´s circumvallation.

Update 15:19 pm: Refugees from Sinjar who are in refugee camps of the autonomous Kurdistan region demonstrate against ISIS attacks on Ezidis in the mountains. Many have still relatives there. There are reports on clashes with Kurdish security forces which we cannot confirm yet.

Update: 15:54pm: There have been heavy clashes between Ezidi forces and ISIS terrorists in the western part of Mount Sinjar. According to our correspondent, 19 terrorists have been killed in those clashes, another three were arrested. Several Ezidi fighters have been killed, a specific figure is not available.

Clashes between demonstrators and Kurdish security forces have been confirmed. Three demonstrators are said to have been injured by the security forces.

Update 16:25 pm: Our correspondent reports that two airstrikes have been conducted by an Iraqi army helicopter which, however, missed its targets. Meanwhile, fightings near the pilgrimage site Sharfadeen continue with an increasing severity. The Ezidi resistance fighters do not want to leave the pilgrimage site to ISIS terrorists. Since August 3 they defend the central sanctuary in Sinjar region.

Update 16:40 pm: 11 Ezidi resistance fighters have been killed in clashes near the Sharfadeen sanctuary so far. The men “fought heroically to push back the terrorists”, said an ezidiPress correspondent on the ground.

Update 18:30 pm: Massive counter attacks of Ezidi forces repelled the terrorists´ advance to the Sharfadeen sanctuary for the moment. An ezidiPress correspondent who is on the ground reports that ISIS terrorists are now mobilizing to attack the sanctuary with new forces. Ezidi resistance units are still on the alert. Further clashes in the evening and at night are to be expected.

Update 18:53 pm: Fighters of Sinjar´s Resistance Unit YBS managed to seize with the support of a YPG unit seven ISIS vehicles near Shlo which is in the immediate vicinity of Mount Sinjar.

Update 21:22 pm: ISIS terrorists have blown up the sanctuary of Quba Amadin in the south of Mount Sinjar. Our correspondent confirms the destruction.

++ End ++

ezidiPress