Sema
“Nine years have passed since the liberation of Shingal, when President Barzani’s promise to the Yazidi Baba Sheikh, made three days after Shingal’s occupation, was fulfilled before the world’s eyes.”
The liberation was conducted under President Barzani’s direct leadership with the participation of more than 7,500 Kurdistan Peshmerga forces and international coalition air forces. Shingal was liberated in less than 24 hours, and President Barzani fulfilled his promise.
Nine years have passed since this epic, which, as always, made Peshmerga the main headline in global media. The liberation of Shingal was the result of President Barzani’s promise after its occupation by ISIS militants on August 3, 2014. Thousands of Kurdistan Peshmerga participated in the operation. The operation began at dawn on November 13, 2015, under President Barzani’s leadership and with international coalition air support against ISIS. More than 7,500 Kurdistan Peshmerga participated in the operation.
The liberation initially began by surrounding Mount Shingal from three sides, with two objectives: first, regaining control of Shingal, where more than 5,000 innocent people were killed during its occupation, and second, cutting off the main route between Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, both under ISIS control with Shingal serving as their connection point. The Peshmerga forces succeeded in this step and managed to cut off the route between Raqqa and Mosul.
In the confrontations, more than 100 ISIS militants were killed, and by the end of the same day, 150 square kilometers of Shingal and its surroundings were completely cleared of ISIS militants. The operation was expected to take several weeks, but victory was declared in less than 24 hours.
President Barzani confirmed to the world the fulfillment of his promise in the victory message. The Peshmerga’s success dominated global and Arab media, with many international centers describing the Peshmerga as the only ground force capable of ending the ISIS myth.