Kurdish forces, backed by the US air force, made gains near the Iraqi city of Mosul on Saturday, capturing key sites from the Islamic State in areas that had been under the jihadists’ control since June.
Seven peshmerga fighters were killed in the clashes, as well as dozens of jihadists, Israel Radio reported. The Kurdish troops retook the strategic Zardaq mountain, east of Mosul, according to the report.
Mosul was the first city to fall to the initial IS-led militant drive in June, which swept Iraqi security forces aside.