At 1030hrs on 23 January 2015, Peshmerga forces resumed their advances South West of Mosul Dam to reclaim areas under Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) control.

As of 1100hrs took control of the villages of Qadesiya and Shndokha.

By 1330hrs Peshmerga forces had successfully cleared and controlled the strategic junction at Kiske on Highway 47, which connects Mosul to Tal Afar, Sinjar and the Syrian border. This victory will put significant pressure on ISIS in Mosul, isolating the area and making it difficult for the group to send supplies and reinforcements.

International Coalition air strikes provided close support to the Peshmerga.

Since the beginning of this operation on 21 January 2015 over 200 ISIS fighters have been killed and buried, including 21 emirs and two senior members;

Salman Abu Khasa was responsible for the organisation's special forces. He was considered a close aide to Abu Bakr Baghdadi and was responsible for the murder of hundreds of civilians.

Abu Suliman was part of the group's senior leadership and managed the group's administrative structures in Mosul province.

Both men were originally from Mosul and were killed in air strikes by the International Coalition on 21 January 2015. Our reporting has confirmed that hundreds of ISIS fighters wounded in the offensive were sent to hospitals in Mosul. These hospitals are running out of space and supplies to treat the wounded.

The Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, Masrour Barzani, said: "Peshmerga forces have once again demonstrated they are the only formidable force on the ground capable of retaking areas from ISIS and pushing the enemy back."

"We call upon the international community to exercise its leadership role in providing Peshmerga additional military aid to reinforce our positions and defeat the enemy."

Office of The Chancellor
Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC)