On October 7th, the Peshmerga over at 9th brigade conducted a coordinated strike via artillery fire on a large gathering of ISIS members. The strike took place west of the city of Daquq, just outside of the Kirkuk province. A battle damage assessment has not been released but it’s speculated that dozens of ISIS fighters were hit. The commander ordered the strike after receiving intel that a high value target would be in the vicinity, but it was not made clear where the intel came from. Most likely the gathering of enemy fighters were dialed in on by using the MILAN thermal imaging (an anti armor missile system) used by the Peshmerga forces.

The commander of the unit, Brigadier General Aras Mohamad, stated:

“This morning, Peshmerga forces shelled a gathering of the ISIS members in Hassan Shallal village, west of Daquq district, killing and wounding dozens of the ISIS members.” He also went on to say, “Our forces conducted the artillery shelling after receiving information that one of the ISIS senior leaders will visit the village to attend the group’s meeting with the rest of the ISIS members.”

9th Brigade has been the center of much controversy, despite their good intentions, due to their heavy involvement with western volunteer fighters and several scandals involving them. Even after all the drama, it sounds like the Peshmerga at 9th are still doing what they do best and that’s killing ISIS scumbags. 9th Brigade as a unit has played a pivotal role in the defense and security of the Kirkuk region over the course of the conflict. While they are primarily a defensive unit and quick reaction force for the province, occasionally they conduct offensive operations if needed. Good effect on target boys, keep it up!