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On Sunday, a new attack has been launched by Kurdish Peshmerga forces towards ISIS, the militant group. The purpose was part of an aggressive campaign to capture the militants’ de facto capital Mosul in Iraq. The advance started post strong air strikes and shelling as led by a US coalition against ISIS.

Militants fought back vehemently, firing mortars at troops that were advancing. They also detonated two damaging car bombs. The area was surrounded by black smoke as civilians fled quickly seeking safety. Those fleeing waved white flags to signify their desire to get away from the military fire. A Peshmerga leader stated that so far 11 villages were taken by force from the Sunni militants. Troops were on their way to Gwer, which is approximately 40 km southeast of the city of Mosul.

Militants destroyed a bridge in Gwer that would have given a clear route to Mosul. Pershmerga leaders are busy repairing the bridge for crossing. The bridge leads over the Grand Zab river that ends by flowing into the Tigris.

The Peshmerga initiative is only part of many future operations set to increase pressure against ISIS in the Mosul area. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed that the future is to draw closer to the final phase of fighting. A US envoy will continue to lead the group as they push back the militant group.

Planning for the take-over has a decided humanitarian consideration to it, per US envoy Brett McGurk. They anticipate fighting around Mosul to continue to intensify prior to subsiding. Experts anticipate one million people in the area will eventually be driven out of their homes in the northern Iraq area. This is set to create a tremendous humanitarian issue, projected the International Committee of the Red Cross. So far over 3.4-million people have been forced to flee across the country of Iraq.