Makhmour, Iraq – The Kurdish military forces known as Peshmerga have regained control of important cities previously held by the Islamic State group in Iraq’s Kurdish region, including the strategically important village of Makhmour, 50km north of Erbil.

Islamic State fighters attacked and captured Makhmour on August 7. Located just south of the Turkish border, the village was once home to 12,000 Kurdish citizens of Turkey. 

Elsewhere, tens of thousands of members of Iraq’s religious minorities, including Yazidi and Christian Iraqis, fled their homes after the Islamic State group’s advances.

This week, the United States launched air strikes on Islamic State targets in the Kurdish region.

On August 10, American fighter jets could be heard and seen bombing areas in Makhmour. By the early afternoon, Islamic State fighters had abandoned their positions, and Kurdish forces were seen reclaiming the village.

The Peshmerga forces were joined by fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and civilian volunteers from the area.