Official says Iraqi Kurdish troops open corridor to Sinjar
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 December 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Official says Iraqi Kurdish troops open corridor to Sinjar, 18 December 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54be130d19.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 18.12.2014 20:10
A senior Kurdish official says Iraqi Kurdish forces battling Islamic State jihadists have managed to open up a corridor to Sinjar Mountain to allow thousands of people from the country's Yazidi religious minority to flee the area.
Masrur Barzani, chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, said the Kurdish Peshmerga forces advanced in battle, establishing the passageway to the mountain on December 18.
The development was a step ahead in the battle to retake the town of Sinjar, at the foothills of the mountain by the same name, which fell to the Islamic State group in early August, trapping tens of thousands of Yazidis.
The Kurdish Peshmerga troops, backed by U.S.-led coalition air strikes, launched the operation to retake the IS-held Sinjar on December 17.
Yazidis follow an ancient religion with ties to Zoroastrianism.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
