Kurdish and Iraqi forces, supported by Shia militias, have ended the two-month siege of the town of Amerli in northern Iraq by the Islamic State.

On Sunday, the forces broke through the ring of jihadist-controlled villages around Amerli, located between Baghdad and Kirkuk in northern Iraq.

About 15,000 people — mainly Shia Turkmens — remained in the town, facing shortages of food, water, and medical supplies after the siege was imposed amid the Islamic State’s advance through northern Iraq in June.

See Iraq Feature: Amerli — The Town Holding Out Against the Islamic State and Starvation

Adel al-Bayati, the mayor of Amerli, confirmed that Iraqi and Kurdish forces are now inside the town, and said that the advance “will definitely relieve the suffering of residents”.

There were reports of some Islamic State resistance continuing to the north and south of Amerli.

On Saturday, US warplanes supported the ground operations with attacks on Islamic State positions. The Americans, British, French, and Australian also dropped aid into Amerli.