Iraq forces in major offensive on Islamic State-held town

Published: 01 May 2016 - 12:00 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 06:04 am

Iraqi pro-government forces and Shiite fighters from the Popular Mobilisation units hold position on April 30, 2016 as they launch an operation to retake the town of al-Bashir, south of the city of Kirkuk, from the Islamic State group (IS). The jihadist group (IS) fired rockets suspected of carrying a mustard agent last month from Bashir on Taza Khurmatu, another town in the northern province of Kirkuk where attack killed three children, wounded a large number of people and pushed thousands more to flee Taza out of fear that it would be repeated. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and training. AFP / Marwan IBRAHIM

Bashir, Iraq: Iraqi forces launched a final assault Saturday to retake the Turkmen majority town of Bashir from the Islamic State jihadist group, Kurdish authorities said.

Pressure for an operation to retake the town had grown in March after IS launched a chemical attack from Bashir on the nearby town of Taza that killed at least three children.

"Bashir village is surrounded and 80 percent has been cleared," the Kurdistan Region Security Council said on social media.

It said the push was launched at 0300 GMT to attack Bashir from the northern, eastern and southern sides.

Turkmen units from Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) militia umbrella group, which announced an operation to retake the town earlier this month, were also taking part.

AFP