Hundreds of IS Jihadists Regroup in Makhmour: Mayor

Hundreds of jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) are still present in the disputed Kurdish town of Makhmour, said the mayor, pointing out that the Peshmerga forces and coalition jets could cooperatively eradicate the insurgents in the region.

Talking to Baghdad Today, Makhmour Mayor Rizgar Mohammed noted that the IS resurgence in the area is highly likely and that it has put the lives of the people in the region at a great risk.

He argued that no operations would be successful by the Iraqi security forces if the Peshmerga fighters and coalition warplanes do not join the military campaign against the extremist group.

The mayor specifically warned of Mount Qarachukh in Makhmour and said that the militants have lately been seen in there.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Tahir, a Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) representative to the area, told the press that the insurgents began to reorganising themselves after the October 16 events in late 2017 when the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces were forced by the Iraqi army to withdraw from the region.