According to news stories on websites close to the Hashd-i Shaabi, on April 8 the Hashd-i Turkmen 16th Brigade attacked the ISIS gangs near the Beshardê Reshadî village in Kirkuk’s Hewîce district. 5 ISIS members were killed and one was captured wounded in the attack.

The killed gang members turned out to be foreign nationals, while one of the photographs served to the media show a Turkish flag on one of the ISIS members. This was seen as another document of the Turkish state gathering gangs to Kirkuk.