November 2015 Sinjar offensive

November 2015 Sinjar offensive
Part of the Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017), Spillover of the Syrian Civil War, and the American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)

Map of the concurrent offensives in al-Hawl and Sinjar, on 12 November 2015
Date12–15 November 2015[6] 3 days)
Location
Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Result

Kurdish-french victory[7][8][9][10][11]

  • Peshmerga and PKK forces capture Sinjar[12][13] and Gabara[14]
  • Kurdish/Peshmerga forces cut three roads leading to Sinjar and ISIL's main Mosul–Raqqa supply route[14]
Belligerents

Kurdistan
Êzîdxan Kurdistan/Peshmerga Command[1]
PKK[1][2]
Rojava[1]
Supported by:
CJTF–OIR[3]

Air support:

MedEvac support:

France		  Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Masoud Barzani
Maj. Gen. Aziz Waisi[2]
Brig. Gen. Seme Mala Mohammed[15]
Sheikh Alo[16]
(Duhok region commander)
Gen. Zaim Ali[17]
(western area commander)
Gen. Wahid Kovli (eastern area commander)
Haydar Shesho[2]
(HPŞ chief commander)
Mazlum Shengal[18]
(YBŞ chief commander)
Berivan Arin[18]
(YJÊ chief commander)
Murat Karayılan
(PKK leader)
İsmail Özden
Newroz Hatim †[6]
(PKK field commander)
Sipan Hemo
(YPG supreme commander)		 Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Mullah Ghareeb al-Turkmani
Abu Askar al-Shammary
Abu Eisa al-Azeri
Abu A'isha al-Juburi[19]
Units involved

Iraqi Kurdistan:

Sinjar Alliance:

PKK:

Rojava:

United States:

Unknown
Strength
7,500+[14] ~700[14] (in Sinjar city)
Casualties and losses
Unknown 300+ killed[22][23]
300+ wounded and captured [24][25]

The November Sinjar offensive was a combination of operations of Kurdish Peshmerga, PKK, and Yezidi Kurd militias in November 2015, to recapture the city of Sinjar from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It resulted in a decisive victory for the Kurdish forces, who expelled the ISIL militants from Sinjar and regained control of Highway 47, which until then had served as the major supply route between the ISIL strongholds of Raqqa and Mosul.

The offensive was code-named "The Fury of Melek Taus", in reference to Melek Taus, a figure from Yezidi religion.[26]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Barzani: "Only the Peshmerga have liberated Shingal, no other unit has been involved"". ÊzîdîPress. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference NYT13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c "News Transcript: Department of Defense Press Briefing by Col. Warren via DVIDS from Baghdad, Iraq". U.S. Department of Defense. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  4. ^ George Allison (13 November 2015). "Update: British Air Strikes In Iraq". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  5. ^ Justin Ling (14 November 2015). "Canada's Opposition Leader Urges Trudeau to Keep Bombing the Islamic State". Vice News. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Shingal: PKK and YBS fighters liberate villages in the west". Êzîdî Press. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Battle for Sinjar: IS-held town in Iraq 'liberated'". BBC News. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Kurdish fighters take control of Iraq's Sinjar". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  9. ^ Coles, Isabel (13 November 2015). "Kurdish forces seize Iraq's Sinjar town from Islamic State". Reuters. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Iraqi Kurd leader declares Sinjar 'liberated' from ISIL". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  11. ^ Hawramy, Fazel; Chulov, Martin (13 November 2015). "Peshmerga forces enter Sinjar in fight against Isis". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  12. ^ Jason Hanna; Ed Payne (13 November 2015). "Sinjar has been liberated from ISIS, Kurds say". CNN. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference cabinet.gov.krd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b c d Gordon, Michael R. (12 November 2015). "Kurds, Backed by U.S. Air Power, Try to Regain Sinjar From ISIS". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 August 2024 – via NYTimes.com.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference ontherun was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "ISIS calls for 'jihad' against Peshmerga as it retreats in Shingal". Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  17. ^ "NO ESCAPE: Peshmerga close in on ISIS in Shingal". Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Yezidi forces form alliance against IS". Êzîdî Press. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  19. ^ "Opposition to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: The Testimony of a Former Amni (II)".
  20. ^ "MLKP fighters also in Sinjar". Kurdish info. 23 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Sinjar 'liberated' from Islamic State group control, Kurdish leaders say". 14 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  22. ^ "Kurds Say They Are Winning Battle For Sinjar". Sky News. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  23. ^ "Peshmerga commander: 100 ISIS killed so far in Shingal". Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  24. ^ "ŞENGAL'DEN NAKİL: Musul ceset ve yaralı dolu!". Rudaw.
  25. ^ "OPERASYON %100 TAMAM: 300 IŞİD'li cesedi... Kurtarılan 28 köy". Rudaw.
  26. ^ "Massoud Barzani supervises Shingal operation". Kurdpress News Agency. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.