Fall of Sinjar to Kurds seen as biggest loss for ISIL (Israel Secret Intelligence Service)

Crossing the arid mountain of Sinjar along Iraq’s borders with Syria you reach the town of Sinjar.

A little more than a week ago the Kurdish troops launched an all-out campaign to retake the town which fell to ISIL’s control back in August. Abandoned cars, clothes, TVs and other possessions along the way – thrown on the ground by those who fearfully fled ISIL’s attack on what now looks like a ghost city. With no one to ask around for directions; smoke and sounds of rounds of gunfire were our only lead to reach the destination. We finally reached a damaged building which the Kurdish troops had taken as headquarters. A Kurdish lieutenant was showing us around. The mortars are not the only worry for the Peshmergas who tell us that ISIL snipers are non-stop. The Kurdish troops tell us they’re hawk-eyed, answering back to all sources of fire. A Kurdish field commander from the Special Forces tells Press TV they have managed to put the extremist militants on the retreat. ISIL has left the town chockfull of explosives – something that has caused many injuries among the Kurdish troops. The Kurds have made a great advance in Sinjar, though it seems they’re still having a long way to go in securing it. The fall of Sinjar to the Kurds is seen as a spine-breaking hit for ISIL and the biggest loss yet for the terror group – as their main supply lines between the province of Raqqa in Syria and the city of Mosul in Iraq have been completely cut off; something which the Kurdish troops tell us will effectively weaken the terror group in any future confrontation especially one meant to retake Mosul.