Irbil, Iraq (CNN)ISIS fighters launched a major assault Tuesday night on Kurdish positions southwest of Irbil in the Kurdish-controlled region of Iraq, according to Kurdish officials.
A "big attack" is taking place some 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Irbil, the Kurdish capital, one Kurdish source told CNN, citing an assistant to Gen. Sirwan Barzani, commander of the sector.
According to Kurdish officials in the area, fighting at close quarters was continuing for some time after the first ISIS assault was launched at about 9 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).
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ISIS launched its offensive from several directions, one Kurdish official said. Coalition aircraft were in the area, according to the officials, but had so far been unable to fire on ISIS units because of the close proximity of the two sides on the ground. A CNN team was in the area 10 days ago and was told by fighters at the front that ISIS was making almost daily attempts to infiltrate through Kurdish lines, which are strung out along a stretch of the River Zab. In January, nearly 30 Peshmerga fighters were killed in the area by a surprise ISIS attack across the river.
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