According to local officials, the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar has been seized from militants of the so-called Islamic State after a Kurdish-led offensive, backed by U.S. airstrikes. “The liberation of Sinjar will have a big impact on liberating Mosul,” regional president Massoud Barzani told the press, reportedly while overlooking the town from a mountain. Mosul is considered ISIS’s stronghold in Iraq; capturing Sinjar assists forces in isolating the targeted city.
