A senior Peshmarga commander, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Kurdish fighters struck a major blow at the terrorists as they attempted to sneak into the town.

More than five ISIL terrorists including a top commander were killed during the clashes, the source said. 

The crisis in Iraq escalated after the ISIL militants took control of Mosul in a lightning advance on June 10, which was followed by the fall of Tikrit, located 140 kilometers (87 miles) Northwest of the capital, Baghdad.

Soldiers of the Iraqi army and Peshmarga have been engaged in heavy fighting with the militants on different fronts and have so far been able to push them back in several areas.