Islamic State fighters.

By Nasir Ali

SHINGAL MOUNTAIN— Militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) are now in control of virtually all the roads leading to the Shingal Mountain where thousands of Yazidi refugees are still encircled, a Peshmerga commander told Rudaw.

“The IS overran three Syrian Kurdish villages last week which were functioning as the only exit routes from the Shingal Mountain into Syrian Kurdistan,” General Ashti Kochar of the Peshmerga forces told Rudaw in a phone interview from the besieged mountain.

“The only way in and out of here is from the air,” the general said, explaining that they had asked the Iraqi air force to drop humanitarian aid on the mountain from now on.

The Kurdish general said nearly 10,000 people were still on the mountain and as the winter approaches they were “in desperate need of blankets and tents.”

An official with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) told Rudaw that his team had prepared more than 10,000 blankets and mattresses to be shipped to the encircled refugees on the mountain.

“We have so far continually delivered aid to the refugees on the mountain, but with all the roads blocked by the Da’esh [ISIS] now, we have to hope that the air transport will go smoothly,” said Nouri Usman, who leads the KRG’s special team established to assist Yazidi refugees.

Rudaw has learned that apart from the Yazidi refugees on the mountain, Syrian Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and guerillas from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), are alongside the KRG’s Peshmerga forces on the beleaguered mountain, which was the focus of an international humanitarian effort in early days of August.

Local Yazidi farmers who have lived with their livestock on the Shingal Mountain have refused to abandon their villages and move to safer areas despite warnings by Kurdish officials.

“This is where we have lived for ages and we would rather die here in dignity than flee,” said Hatte Mito, a 60 year-old Yazidi woman referring to her village of Kochare located on the foothill of the mountain where major battles took place in August as Yazidi and Kurdish fighters successfully repelled Islamic State’s repeated onslaughts.

“We are doing our best to help our Yazidi defenders,” said Hawla Piso, 35, wearing a traditional Yazidi outfit. Piso said she made between 150 and 200 pieces of bread which were then sent to the Yazidi fighters in the frontlines.

General Kochar told Rudaw that the KRG had prepared nearly 100 tons of food, tents and other necessities which he promised would be delivered to the refugees despite the blockade.

“On the direct orders of Prime Minister [Nechirvan] Barzani, we will also airlift anyone who needs acute medical help to Dohuk,” the general said.