Mansour Barzani the special forces commander for the Kurdistan region at Gwer-Makhmour region The Peshmerga beat back a complex, daring attack by ISIS, led reportedly by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi himself. Some 24 members of the town’s security forces (Asayish) lost their lives, as did some 38 ISIS terrorists. The attack was clearly complex and well-planned, using some 500 terrorists in boats, who crossed the Tigris and Zab rivers to attack on nine fronts under the cover of darkness and poor weather. This would be a horrendously complicated and difficult operation to coordinate for conventional professional armed forces. But it highlights that ISIS still retains a significant tactical capability, as well as a military proficiency that was not gained from the bomb-sites of Syria. The foreign fighters plainly have imported expertise of a high order. More importantly the operation was led apparently by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi himself. And that is without doubt of great significance. Why risk the highest profile member of ISIS on such an attack? Clearly, if it had succeeded, it would have been a major propaganda victory. Gwer lies on a key north-south line of strategic communication and is only some 60 kms from the capital Erbil. ISIS badly need and want a propaganda victory to counter the reverses that are seeing on an almost daily basis across northern Iraq.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:52:39 +0000
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