MESOP : JUST 20 MINUTES AGO : Hashd al-Shaabi Pretending the Engagement in Basheer Village Operation – The Shi’ite militias planted their flag after the liberation of the village

Sardar Sattar – BasNews – 2 May 2016 – Hashd al-Shaabi Pretending the Engagement in Basheer Village Operation

KIRKUK — After the Kurdish Peshmerga forces liberated Basheer village from the Islamic State (IS) yesterday, the Shi’ite militia Hashd al-Shaabi is now attempting to demonstrate that the victory is recorded by them. The Peshmerga forces, backed by the US-led coalition airstrikes, drove the IS militants out of the Turkmen Basheer village on Sunday and liberated the strategic spot after nearly two years, a mission which the Shi’ite militia and the Iraqi army failed several times to accomplish. Basheer village is of strategic importance in the south of Kirkuk province; it had fell into the hands of IS a week after the fall of Mosul in June 2014.

Media outlets affiliated with Hashd al-Shaabi are now attempting to record the victory to themselves by claiming that they were engaged in the operation. Kurdish political commentators insist that the Shi’ite militias are no longer welcome in Kirkuk as they were deployed to the area for liberating Basheer village alone, “and the village is already freed by Peshmerga forces.” BasNews has learned that after Peshmerga liberated Basheer, Hashd al-Shaabi militias entered the village, planting their flags over ruined buildings and writing slogans on the walls; an attempt to demonstrate that the victory was scored by them. www.mesop.de