Two Peshmerga fighters found killed, northeastern Diyala
Iraqi government forces in Hamreen Mountains in Diyala.
Speaking to Alghad Press, the source said, “two Peshmerga personnel, from northeastern Diyala regions, went out on Saturday for fishing near border areas, where they were mysteriously lost.”
The victims were not on duty, when they went for fishing, the source, who preferred anonymity, added.
“The two bodies were found killed near the borders of Qurret Tabbah region,” the source said, adding that the Islamic State is likely to have kidnapped and killed them.
“The two bodies were transferred to forensic medicine department. Investigations were conducted,” he added.
Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, have been fighting since October 2016 to retake territories Islamic State had occupied. Since then, forces took back the group’s former capital, Mosul, the town of Tal Afar, Kirkuk’s Hawija, and Anbar’s Annah, Rawa and Qaim.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The war against IS has displaced at least five million people. Thousands others fled towards neighboring countries including Syria, Turkey and other European countries, since IS emerged to proclaim its self-styled “caliphate”.