Peshmerga closes road to hamper Iraqi troops advance near Syrian borders

Erbil (iraqiNews.com) The Kurdish Peshmerga troops have blocked the main road linking between Sinjar, in Nineveh, and Duhuk, to prevent federal troops’ advance toward a border crossing near Syria, an officer was quoted saying.

“The measure came after received information indicated plans by the federal troops to gain control on the Faysh Kahbur exit on borders with Syria and located near Turkish borders,” First Lieutenant Younes Koran, a Peshmerga officer, told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

The border, according to Kuran, “is the northern entrance to Iraq, which links the country to Iraq and Syria. Federal troops are getting ready to control it, which made Peshmerga closes the road, in the exit’s direction, to hamper advance of the troops, until Peshmerga receives official instructions from the Kurdistan Region Government.”

Sinjar is currently controlled by Iraqi troops, after Peshmerga withdrew the region, while federal forces advanced to regain disputed regions.

Iraqi government forces approached Friday the southern borders of Erbil, capital of semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, shortly after engaging in clashes with the region’s forces in Qush Taba and Altun Kupri in northern Kirkuk.

Iraqi troops, backed by Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), took over Kirkuk province from Kurdish Peshmerga fighters last week, fulfilling instructions previously made by Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to retake areas where sovereignty is disputed with Kurdistan Region’s Government