MESOP : TODAY’S IRAQ SITUATION R EPORT (BY ISW)
by: Ahmed Ali and Nichole Dicharry
Key Takeaway:
The Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga continue to launch operations to clear areas that fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in early August. This weekend’s Peshmerga operations cleared most of the area of Zumar in northwestern Ninewa province on the Iraqi-Syrian border. Zumar was the first location seized by ISIS during its August push. Zumar’s clearing will allow the Peshmerga the possibility to launch operations towards Sinjar and can provide a psychological boost to the Peshmerga. Although ISIS will likely consolidate in Sinjar to prevent any Peshmerga advances, U.S. and coalition airstrikes appear to have played a major role in allowing the Peshmerga to carry out the operation. In Anbar, ISIS continues to pressure the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the anti-ISIS Iraqi Sunni tribes in the Baghdadi sub-district in western Anbar which is home to the important al-Asad airbase. ISIS is likely intensifying its Anbar push after it has been mostly expelled from northern Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhar which is south of Anbar. The setback to ISIS in Jurf al-Sakhar will likely lead to increased pressure on Amiriyat al-Fallujah.