Guerrilla and peshmerga forces have launched a joint operation this morning at 06:00 local time to cleanse the southern areas of Kirkuk city in South Kurdistan of the ISIS gangs.

Anti-terror units affiliated to the peshmerga forces and HPG/YJA Star guerrillas are leading the operation through which they have started to clear strategically important points of the ISIS groups. Within the area of the operation which South Kurdistan military officials started in the form of a surprise raid, peshmerga and guerrilla forces have taken control of the villages of Mekteb Xalid, Sultan Mereb, Nehrewan and the hills around Til Werdê and Xerabe Rût so far.

Governor of Kirkuk Necmeddin Kerim said the operation has been launched in order for an entire elimination of the ISIS threat on the city. The operation is by that reason called “Initial operation”. PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) deputy secretary Kosret Resul told press members at the battle front that they would not keep waiting the Iraqi military forces and Hashdi Es Shabi militia formed by Shia forces, adding: “we will save the region by our own forces”.

Kurdish forces continue to advance during the ongoing operation which is also being supported by intense strikes of the international coalition aircraft.

A part of the forces participating the operation is planned to advance from two directions before reuniting at Mele Abdullah, while Kurdish forces continue their advance towards Riyaz town, according to the reports from the ground.

It has been also reported that the villages of Simayîlaway Gewre, Siyamîlaway Biçûk and Serxe in Dubiz district of Kirkuk have been liberated without any clashes taking place as the ISIS gangs retreated.

Some peshmerga fighters have been reported wounded in the blast that occurred after gangs detonated the explosives they had laid in the school building in the Siyamilaway village.