The Kurdish Regional Government has officially asked the United States for armed assistance as it launched a counter-offensive against Islamic militants who inflicted heavy defeats on Kurdish forces over the weekend.
KRG foreign minister Falah Mustafa said Monday that the US missions in Baghdad and Erbil had taken the Kurdish appeal “seriously” and “promised to intently look into the case.”
Islamic State (IS) militants launched a massive attack on Kurdish-controlled areas on Sunday, capturing the important oil cities of Shengal and Zumar, 50 kilometers from the Syrian-Kurdish border. Heavy losses were reported on both sides.
Early Tuesday Kurdish forces, the Peshmerga, said they had reentered Shengel (200km west of the KRG capital, Erbil) in a counter-offensive. Both sides are using heavy weapons.
Kurdish military officials say the Peshmarga urgently needs more heavy weaponry and ammunition to sustain their offensive.
The US says it has joint operations centers in Erbil and Baghdad to help Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga commanders by sharing intelligence information.
Kurdish President Massoud Barzani told reporters Monday: “We have ordered the Peshmerga to attack the terrorists and enemies of Kurdistan with all their power.”
“[We] will not relinquish an inch of Kurdistan and we will defend our dear Yezidi brothers and sisters,” he added, referring to the community living in Shengel, thousands of whom had fled to the mountains ahead of the IS offensive.
Meanwhile, the humiliating defeats of Kurdish forces in the lightening IS assaults has galvanised support from Kurds in Syria and Turkey, press reports said.
Syrian rebel forces have reportedly crossed the border, while the PKK, which is fighting for autonomy for Turkey's Kurds, on Monday urged all Kurds to take up the fight against the Sunni militants.
"All Kurdish political powers must take part in this resistance, shoulder-to-shoulder.
When Kurds are attacked, they must show the attackers that they will find all Kurds against them," the PKK said.
Kurdish officials say local Arab tribes in the Zumar area are supporting the Islamic militants in their clashes with Kurdish forces.
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