Seven months after the liberation of Sinjar (Shingal in Kurdish), it remains a ghost town. Only 20 of the 8,500 or so Yazidi families have returned. Destroyed infrastructure is the biggest deterrent to reclaiming their homes. About 80 percent of the city was smashed during the occupation and liberation.
Russia says it will support Peshmerga troops during the expected battle to liberate Mosul.
Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his follower to stage another Prayer Day rally in Baghdad.
At least 117 people were killed, and 11 were wounded:
In Mosul, militants executed 22 security personnel, including police and Peshmerga. Bombs killed eight militants.
Four civilians were wounded during a blast in Tawakil.
A bomb in Bir Ahmed wounded three militiamen.
Near Qayara, 18 militants were killed.
A strike on Zankura killed 15 militants.
Security forces killed 14 militants in Mazraa.
Twelve militants were killed and four were wounded in a strike on Hammam al-Alil. A judge was among the dead.
Peshmerga forces killed three bombers, while a fourth killed himself during a failed attack in Tal Afar. Seven militants were killed in an airstrike.
In Hit, 10 militants were killed.
In Aloulih, a strike killed five militants.
Two militants were killed in Broth.
Many militants were killed between Haditha and Baiji.
