Makhmur: First Defeat of ISIS at the Hands of CTG Forces, Eleven Years On

Kurdistan 04:08 PM - 2025-08-10

Makhmur district.

Eleven years ago today, the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Peshmerga liberated Makhmur District, in Erbil Province, along with surrounding areas, after they had been seized by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). At the time, the terrorist organisation was advancing towards Erbil.

The attack prompted many residents of Erbil to flee in fear for their lives from the brutality of the extremists. Under the leadership of PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani and several senior PUK figures, the CTG and PUK Peshmerga forces mobilised rapidly to defend the city and neutralise the threat. Their swift action succeeded in freeing Makhmur and eliminating the terrorist danger to Erbil in record time.

The CTG issued a statement on the anniversary of Makhmur’s liberation, recalling the events that led to the operation: “Just days after the fall of Shingal and the opening of new battlefronts to ISIS terrorists, coupled with the evacuation of several undefended areas and the imminent threat to the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Erbil, the CTG became an iron dome protecting the capital and a sharp spear striking against ISIS. Within an hour and a half, our forces cleared Makhmur of terrorists.”

The statement continued: “As President Bafel Jalal Talabani has emphasised, just 88 CTG Peshmerga liberated Makhmur, inflicting the terrorist organisation’s first defeat at the hands of CTG in Kurdistan, despite the fact that ISIS had recently overcome the armies of two countries.”

Concluding, the CTG declared: “From Zakho to Khanaqin, from Kubashi to Kobani, CTG considers itself responsible for the territory of Kurdistan. The stories of our force and our martyrs stand as lasting testimony to this commitment.”

A Large-Scale Assault

Rashad Galali, Deputy Head of the PUK’s Qarachogh Organisations Centre, told PUKMEDIA: “Makhmur District was subjected to a large-scale attack by the ISIS terrorist organisation following the occupation of Shingal (Sinjar) District in 2014, and the terrorists were able to seize control of the district.”

He continued: “After the fall of Makhmur and the Gwer sub-district, Erbil came under direct threat and sustained terrorist fire. Citizens began fleeing the city in large numbers.”

According to Galali: “Once the CTG forces arrived in Erbil, they immediately launched an offensive against the terrorists, successfully expelling them from Makhmur District, liberating the area, and removing the threat to the city.”

He added: “The PUK forces were the first to enter Makhmur District, restoring hope and life to the area, and driving the terrorists more than 14 kilometres beyond the district’s boundaries.”

Securing Erbil from Occupation

Galali further stated: “The terrorists had reached Gwer sub-district and the Kandinawa area, placing Erbil in grave danger. Thousands of citizens fled, terrified at the prospect of facing the extremists’ brutality alone.”

He concluded: “The primary credit for liberating Makhmur District and restoring life there belongs to the CTG forces, whose actions safeguarded Erbil from occupation.”



PUKMEDIA