Speaking to NRT, the head of the PUK committee in Makhmour, Reshad Galali, said IS militants hiding in a cave in the mount of Qarachokh targeted the Peshmerga forces, with a sniper killing more than seven and wounding 14 Peshmerga.

The fate of another Peshmerga who was wounded by the sniper attack is unknown, Galali said.

Peshmerga forces, along with Iraqi federal police and backed by the coalition warplanes, launched an offensive on Monday to hunt IS militants in Makhmour.

The anti-IS operation was supervised by Coalition forces and came to an end by 6:00 p.m. on Monday, according to Galali.

Peshmerga commander Ghazi Faisal said that the Coalition assisted the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces by launching airstrikes against positions of IS militants in Gali Shamzinan and Gali Alirash.

Reporter’s code: 50101