MESOP : BRAVE PESHMERGA ! – Peshmerga controls 80 percent of Jalaula in Diyala Province

24.07.2014 – Zanyar Daquqi – BasNews, Kirkuk – Kurdish Peshmerga forces have managed to regain control of at least 80% of Jalaula town that was captured by Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) militants last month.A source in Jalaula in Diyala Province in Northern Iraq told BasNews reporter that the fighting between ISIS and Peshmerga continues.

Peshmerga forces have gained control of the majority of the town, a number of ISIS militants have become trapped and surrounded by Peshmerga in scattered neighborhoods across the city. Former member of Diyala Province Council Amr Rafaat confirmed the Peshmerga gains to BasNews said after ISIS took control of the city a lot of Arab residents left Jalaula.“After the liberation of Iraq in 2003, a large number of Arabs moved to Jalaula and settled there, numbering about 3000 families. After the ISIS rebels controlled the area and Iraqi Army withdrew, all those families left the town and returned back to their areas,” said Amr. He noted that when those Arab families came to the town, the area faced insecurity. Amr pointed out that due to the control of ISIS group, 1500-2000 Kurdish families left the town and now Kurdish Peshmerga forces have taken control of the area and run ISIS from the town.