(AINA) -- The Hammurabi Human Rights Organization (HHRO), an NGO based in Baghdad, Iraq, reported that today at 2 P.M. Kurdish Peshmerga forces clashed with ISIS forces 5 kilometers west of the Assyrian town of Baghdede in the Hamdaniya district. According to HHRO, the Kurdish forces withdrew as ISIS strongly advanced. There is fear among the population of the Hamdaniya district, which numbers 50,000, of an ISIS onslaught. Many families have begun to leave east toward Arbel and north toward Karamles, Bartella and Dohuk.

The Kurdish forces are making a stand outside of Baghdede and have vowed to stop ISIS, which has sent messages to the Kurdish forces saying that they intend to drive toward Kalak, which is halfway to Arbel.

The Hammurabi Human Rights Organization (HHRO), an NGO based in Baghdad, Iraq, monitors the human rights situation in Iraq, particularly of minorities such as Assyrians, Turkmen, Yazidis and Shabak. Founded in 2005, HHRO works for human rights observation and documentation, in addition to implementation of humanitarian relief in Iraq.

HHRO works with various Iraqi and international institutions on variety of issues.

HHRO publishes annual reports on Human Rights situations focusing on Minorities. In 2013, HHRO was recognized and awarded as the best NGO by the United States State Department for its major achievements in the most difficult situations for the year 2012 in Baghdad.