Kurdish forces, or the Peshmerga, continue to battle militants from the Islamic State in northern Iraq. Peshmerga troops attacked Islamic State militants 40 kilometers southwest of the Kurdish capital of Arbil Wednesday, Reuters reports.
The offensive came after militants made a rapid advance through three towns near Kurdistan on Sunday.
“We have changed our tactics from being defensive to being offensive. Now we are clashing with ISIS in Makhmur,” said Jabbar Yawar, Secretary General of the ministry of the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
According to Reuters, Islamic State militants are now closer to the Kurdish semi-autonomous region than ever before, prompting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to call on the air force to help Kurdish forces earlier this week.
Militants from the Islamic State swept through northern Iraq in June and declared an Islamic caliphate. Thousands have fled the ongoing violence and strict laws imposed by the extremist group.
