Kurdish peshmerga fighters say they have liberated much of the Iraqi town of Sinjar from the group calling itself Islamic State (ISIL). <br /><br /> Since the operation began on Thursday (October 12), the Kurds backed by US air strikes and volunteers from Iraq’s Yazidi minority, have captured more than 150 square kilometers from ISIL.<br /><br /> Sinjar fell last year to the group who promptly murdered and enslaved thousands of members of the Yazidi community.<br /><br /> The Kurdish Regional Government said 7,500peshmerga fighters were closing in to take control of the mountain town and cut off a supply line used by ISIL.<br /><br /> The United States, expects securing Sinjar to take between two and four days, with another week needed to complete to complete clearing operations, according to a US official. <br /><br /> Kurdish commanders say they need to advance slowly to avoid explosives likely planted by ISIL in Sinjar. <br /><br /> The Kurds, who fought Saddam Hussein’s security forces for decades, have some of the most experienced fighters
