2014: Kurdish Role in the Fight Against ISIS:
On June 12, 2014, Islamic militants claiming allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched a sudden and coordinated assault across Syria and Iraq. Their offensive quickly overwhelmed local defenses as they stormed government buildings, massacred civilians, and seized vast amounts of advanced military equipment, including American tanks, Humvees, and weaponry that had been supplied to the Iraqi army after Saddam Hussein’s fall. In western Iraq, the Iraqi army collapsed almost instantly, abandoning their posts in the face of ISIS’s onslaught. This retreat allowed ISIS to sack Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, and declare it the capital of their self-proclaimed “Caliphate.” In Syria, which was already destabilized by a civil war, ISIS faced even less resistance and expanded its grip with alarming speed.
The situation became dire in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, where Iraqi troops once again fled, leaving the city defenseless and at risk of falling into ISIS’s hands. In this moment of crisis, Kirkuk’s Kurdish governor, Dr. Najmaldin Karim, urgently called upon the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who responded decisively. The Peshmerga not only halted ISIS’s advance but also established defensive positions around the province, preventing further incursions. Meanwhile, in Syria, Kurdish fighters rallied under the YPG and YPJ, the People’s Protection Units composed of both male and female fighters, and emerged as one of the most effective forces in resisting ISIS. Their bravery and resilience won them international recognition, and in both Syria and Iraq, Kurdish forces worked in close coordination with U.S. special forces.
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The Kurds proved indispensable in the fight against ISIS, preventing the group from achieving total dominance over Syria, Iraq, and potentially beyond. By 2017, a coalition of U.S. and Kurdish forces decisively defeated ISIS, dismantling its so-called Caliphate and liberating occupied territories. The reclaimed lands were returned to their rightful inhabitants, both Arab and Kurdish, marking the end of ISIS’s territorial control and underscoring the critical role Kurdish forces played in one of the most consequential battles of the 21st century.
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